January 26, 2006 Contact: Sue Baker
For Immediate Release 738-2000
Mayor issues fitness challenge to city youth
The pilot “Mayor’s Fitness Challenge” program, to fourth, fifth and sixth graders,
is meant to encourage children to lead more physically active lives
WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian has written to the principals of Warwick’s public and parochial elementary schools, inviting their fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes to take part in a pilot “Mayor’s Fitness Challenge” program, he announced today.
The challenge, which will run from February 1 through May 31, is meant to encourage city youth to become more physically active, beyond recess or in-school physical activity programs, Avedisian said.
In his letter this week, Avedisian noted that the percentage of children who are considered obese or overweight is on the rise throughout the country, due to a variety of factors such as diet, genetics, psychological and family/social issues – and inactivity. Those children are at higher risk of developing serious health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other respiratory ailments, liver disease and eating disorders. Of equal concern: emotional effects, which can range from low self-esteem and bullying, to learning and behavior problems and depression.
Schools that accept the challenge will agree to follow certain guidelines: individual student participation is voluntary; each child will be asked to log their minutes of activity – on the honor system – in a journal; chores, such as shoveling, vacuuming and raking leaves would also count; participating classroom teachers and the school principal are invited to join as an added encouragement, with their activity minutes counted toward the total school goal; and individual teachers/ assistants are asked to determine an appropriate way for those students for whom physical activity is medically difficult or not possible to participate, if they would like.
The school with the greatest number of total activity hours will be treated to a lunchtime party sometime in June, Avedisian said, and the fourth, fifth and sixth grade classroom with the highest individual total city-wide will receive a citation from the Mayor.
If the program is successful, Avedisian said, a year-long Fitness Challenge would be extended to all elementary grades in September.
“We’re hoping that this will provide a fun and spirited way for our children to become more active,” Avedisian said. “Even an extra 30 minutes a week, over time, will make a difference.”
Avedisian said that school children can rest assured that he’s not going to be sitting idly by while they’re out and about – in addition to regular sessions at the gym, he is joining other city employees on a team to participate in the statewide Shape Up RI 2007 event.
-- 30 --