The National Senior Games & the fight against childhood obesity

The Local Organizing committee for the National Senior Games, recognizing the link between healthy and fit young people and the mission of the Senior Games movement to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle, decided to award grants to two Houston organizations active in the fight against childhood obesity. On Monday, April 18, two grant winners of the 27 organization that applied were announced at the Children's Museum in Houston.

 

The Children's Museum of Houston received a $20,000 grant to help support its Power Play exhibit: a towering 4,500 square foot exhibit and programs which engage children and families in physical challenges, balanced with education on the value of exercise and good nutrition. For more on the Children's Museum, please visit www.cmhouston.org. The second grant went to the Memorial Herman Community Benefit Corporation to enable it to implement a "Project Fit America" program at a local elementary school. PFA is a nonprofit, national grassroots organization that develops fitness education in schools and enhances the existing Healthy Eating and Lifestyles Program of MHCBC's Health Centers for Schools. Visit the MHCBC's website at www.mhcommunitybenefit.org.

"Being active and healthy is what has enabled those athletes to reach this point in their lives," Dan Wolterman said, President & CEO of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and Chairman of the Houston Local Organizing Committee (shown on the left in the picture). "While people are today living longer, children who are not fit and healthy will not." DeEtte Sauer, a Houston Senior athlete and winner of 10 medals in national and international swimming competitions stressed the link between being active and healthy as a young person and living a longer, healthier and more productive life. She passed a torch to 10-year old Eligha Jones, a member of the Children's Museum Children's Committee, symbolizing the generational connection. (Sauer - shown in center of picture with Jones).