Health & Fitness
Reebok and The Salvation Army team up to keep kids active
FREE family event! Active Kids Day sponsored by BOKS and The Salvation Army
REEBOK AND THE SALVATION ARMY TEAM UP TO KEEP KIDS ACTIVE
Partnership Goal to Inform, Educate and Celebrate the Impact of Physical Activity, Affordable Nutrition and Family Wellness
CANTON, MA (May 1, 2013) – Today, the Salvation Army announces a partnership with Reebok & the BOKS program, a before school physical activity program for kids currently in over two-hundred schools nationwide that is supported by the Reebok Foundation. In an effort to combat the fact that more and more school children are growing up without regular physical activity as part of their daily routines, Reebok, the BOKS program and The Salvation Army are committed to encouraging children to lead active and healthier lives.
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To kick off the partnership, Reebok and the Salvation Army have put together the second annual Active Kids Day, an outdoor, free family event centered around better fitness and nutrition awareness for approximately 1,500 children and families from Boston and surrounding communities. The event is open to the public and will be held on Saturday, May 4th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. It will engage New England BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) school participants and all other local communities in a celebration of the profound impact physical activity and good health practices have on a child’s developing mind and body.
Major Ivan Rock of The Salvation Army says, “Helping children grow up healthy is a major focus for The Salvation Army and we are privileged to work with a partner like Reebok. Active Kids Day is about getting families moving, eating well and leaving with tools to keep doing just that. Thanks to our friends at Stop & Shop, every family will leave with a cookbook full of healthy meal ideas.”
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Families with children in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade are invited to participate in guided field activities, a one-mile fun run, healthy nutrition demonstrations and resources, as well as medical screenings. In addition, food experts such as “Every Day with Rachel Ray” producers and chefs from frozen food brand, Birds Eye, will be on hand to give cooking demonstrations and share food samples.
“Collaboration is critical in creating a healthier future for our kids and we are thrilled to have an event where we can showcase not only some key contributors, but also some real BOKSTARS,” says Kathleen Tullie, Founder and Executive Director of the BOKS program.
A special event pass will be distributed to all participants, who will then receive punches on the pass for fitness, health and education areas. Those who end up with a fully punched pass will receive a special gift. Also, children and their families will leave with a healthy cookbook, courtesy of Stop & Shop with recipes, including those demonstrated at the event, and good nutrition guidelines, all with a focus on helping families make sound nutritional choices that they can afford. In addition, coupons from Reebok and Birds Eye and other fun fitness items will be given out.
For free registration information, visit salvationarmyma.org.
About The Salvation Army
Whether it is shelter for a displaced family or a warm cup of coffee for our brave first responders – hope and healing is the message of The Salvation Army. Since 1865, The Salvation Army has been providing social and spiritual services to communities throughout the world. People given purpose, hearts given hope and souls finding redemption – this has been our mission for more than a century.
With heart to God and hand to man, The Salvation Army – an international movement – is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
About BOKS (Building Our Kids’ Success)
BOKS, Build Our Kids’ Success, is a before school physical activity program backed by Reebok and the Reebok Foundation. Founded on the principle Active Kids = Active Minds, BOKS was created by a group of Moms after reading Dr. John Ratey’s book Spark, which states that “exercise is the single most powerful tool that we have to optimize the function of our brains.” The goal of the BOKS program is to enhance academic performance and the overall health of kids through physical activity. The uniqueness of the program is that it takes place before school begins and studies have shown that exercise before school is the key to improving classroom performance and behavior. The program is simple to implement, is run by moms, dads, P.E. teachers and all other types of volunteers in local communities. BOKS is currently in over 250 schools around the world. To bring BOKS to your community, please visit BOKSKids.org for more information.
