Fighting childhood obesity and hunger
Almost 500 supporters recently took to Hollywood’s Broadwalk and raised $ 18,000 to promote physical fitness and healthy eating among disadvantaged youth.
Proceeds of the eighth annual FLIPANY Fun Run will help fund after- school fitness programs and sponsor children runners in future races, said Lynne Kunins, founder, president and CEO of FLIPANY ( Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth).
FLIPANY serves the tricounty area by working with community centers, parks and social service agencies to fight childhood obesity and hunger by focusing on healthy food preparation, physical education and wellness. Programs include on- site food demonstrations, nutrition education and cooking classes.
Kunins founded the group in 2005 after teaching and promoting fitness and nutrition, and since then, it has grown to serve about 10,000 families a year, including about 4,200 children served each day in afterschool programs.
“Our approach is to teach children and parents howto do things for themselves, such as exercise and eat right, howto shop on a budget and to make healthier food choices,” Kunins said.
Anita Chang ran the 5K and raised $ 600 from her friends and co- workers for the cause.
“I supported it because it promotes physical fitness. It’s not enough to eat healthy; you also have to be active,”
said Chang, of Fort Lauderdale. “We need to teach them at a young age about healthy eating and combat the misconception that healthy food is expensive.”
Jonathan Dasta, a seventhgrade student at Gulfstream Middle School in Hallandale Beach, also ran the 5K and said he has benefited from the group’s outreach.
“I’m eating more salads and fruits, and I have learned a lot about teamwork,” he said.
Dasta takes part in an affiliated after- school program run by Memorial Healthcare System for which FLIPANY provides fitness, healthy cooking, nutrition education and Earn A Bike programs, said JenniferHoffman, FLIPANY’s director of programs.
“It’s a big component of our after- school program,” said Jamie Wood, director of Gulfstream’s after- school program. “The children are much more active now, some have slimmed down and are much more muscular, and some of them are actively reading the labels on the after- school snacks. And since the Fun Run, they’re begging us to do another 5K run.”
FLIPANY is now gearing up for its next big event, the Spring Break Mountain Bike/ Adventure Camp, set for March 24- 28 at Markham Park in Sunrise. It will promote its Earn A Bike program.
Earn A Bike is for ages 10- 17. Over the course of eight sessions, participants learn the basics of bike repair and maintenance and safe riding while refurbishing an abandoned bike. Students who complete at least six of the sessions will earn the bike they learned to build, including a new bike lock and helmet.
For more information, visit Flipany. org or call 954636- 2388.