The Statesboro Family YMCA which is part of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia is hosting the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day® on Saturday, May 7, encouraging families to take a moment to help kids be kids and set them up for a summer of success.
Sponsored by Howard Johnson® by Wyndham, the day-long event will feature activities such as games, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts, competitions, food trucks, vendors and much more to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home. Branches with outdoor pools will also be opening them for the summer on Healthy Kids Day.
Coastal Georgia YMCA
“At the Y, we believe in the potential of all children and each day we work to help kids find that potential within themselves,” said Joel Smoker, CEO. “Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community-wide event to kick off summer and remind us all how important it is for kids to stay active physically and mentally throughout the summer.”
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. The Y hopes to use the day to get more kids moving and learning, creating healthy habits they can continue while they’re away from the classroom. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than during the school year. With all that’s going on in the world right now, Healthy Kids Day is a reminder to families that we can help ensure all children have access to what they need to reach their full potential, even during out-of-school time.
Healthy Kids Day
The YMCA of Coastal Georgia is also partnering with Totes to Tots and the Georgia Department of Human Services to collect new and gently-used suitcases and backpacks for foster children in Chatham County.
Many children in foster care must move from place to place with their possessions packed in plastic shopping and trash bags; Tots to Tots aims to provide a real piece of luggage in which each child can carry their things. Since 2002, Totes to Tots has collected and distributed over 67,000 age-appropriate bags to more than 11,000 children in Georgia’s foster care system. The YMCA of Coastal Georgia hopes to
collect at least one bag for each of the 304 children in Chatham County’s foster care system by the end of their Healthy Kids Day event. Donations can be made at the Habersham, Islands, Tybee, Effingham and West Chatham Ys through the end of the week, and at the Habersham Y’s Healthy Kids Day event on Saturday.
Statesboro Family YMCA is located at 409 Clairborne Avenue in Statesboro.
