Fit-n-Fun program keeps kids active

Grant Goldston attempts to fill a bottle of water held by Madelyn McCoy during games on the final day of the 2009 Mercy Health for Life Fit-n-Fun program. Dates for the 2010 summer kids program are June 7-24. (Jason E. Silvers/Tribune)

This summer, local youth will once again have the opporunity to learn about physical fitness.

Next month, kids who are 6 to 10 years of age can remain physically active by participating in the annual Fit-n-Fun program, which is sponsored by the fitness center and Trainwreck Tees, a local business.

The three-week program, now in its eighth year, is designed to provide children with a chance to participate in a variety of fun physical activities in a safe and engaging environment, Mercy Health Center Director of Wellness and Development Tina Rockhold said.

"The goal of the Fit-n-Fun program is to teach our youth the importance of daily physical activity, eating right and that exercise can be fun," she said. "We hope to see the kids take something that they have learned from the program and incorporate it into their lives, springboarding a lifetime of healthy habits."

The program is offered each June to encourage children to use creative and fun methods of exercise to establish a lifelong fitness routine. In the program, coordinators schedule several activities that are geared toward teaching children about the benefits of fitness and staying healthy.

Coordinators of the program said the program's popularity has grown in recent years, enough so that two sessions are now offered to accommodate more than 20 participants. The program's curriculum is developed by Chris Sather, a physical education teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School, and coordinated by local residents Laurie Bollinger and Julie Lattimer.

The program also coordinates with a federally-mandated wellness policy that will be implemented in public schools across the United States this fall. The wellness policy is an initiative to educate students and increase activity, nutrition and wellness habits among school-aged children.

"For years, we have seen these children grow with the program," Lattimer said. "It has been fun to observe how their coordination and ability has increased over time. This year, we are seeing a new, younger group that we hope to encourage to remain physically active for a lifetime."

Participants receive a T-shirt upon completion of the program. On the program's final day, youth can participate in several activities including water relays and water gun tag to earn prizes.

The 2010 program is scheduled to take place Monday-Thursday from June 7 to June 24. Class sessions are 45 minutes in length and begin at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Space is limited to 12 students per session. The cost for the program is $24 per child for members of Mercy Health for Life and $30 for non-members.

For more information about the program, call Rockhold at (620) 223-7073.