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City kicks off Healthy Kids Community Challenge

The city kicked off its participation in the province's Healthy Kids Community Challenge with a variety of outdoor winter activities at the James Jerome Complex Saturday.
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Isaac Whalen, 3, spent his Saturday morning adding splashes of colour to snowmen during the city's first annual Healthy Kids Snow Day event. Photo by Jonathan Migneault.

The city kicked off its participation in the province's Healthy Kids Community Challenge with a variety of outdoor winter activities at the James Jerome Complex Saturday.

In January Sudbury joined 45 communities in Ontario the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care would fun to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition in children.

The city received $1,125,000 to administer the program over three years and promote health lifestyles.

“The way we do that with kids is that we promote healthy living, which is physical activity, playing outside, walking to school, doing all those things that make kids healthy,” said Kate Barber, the local project manager for the Healthy Kids Community Challenge.

Greater Sudbury has higher than average obesity rates, and the Healthy Kids Community Challenge aims to lower those rates in childhood, and into adulthood.

The city collaborated with a number of community groups, including the Sudbury and District Health Unit and the Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre to create a day of family fun at the James Jerome Complex.

Children were able to play some pond hockey, skate on the Ramsey Lake skating path, climb snowbanks (under adult supervision), and had access to free, and healthy, treats throughout the day.

Barber said the Healthy Kids Snow Day event could extend beyond the three years of provincial funding for the overall program.

“We're trying to make it a day everyone can enjoy,” she said.



 


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Jonathan Migneault

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