Children’s Fun and Health Day
by KFYR TV, Juli McDonald
Posted on 3/29/2010
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Backpacks, hospitals and bullies were all topics at a health event today for kids. Children’s Fun & Health Day aims to teach kids important lessons about safety and good health. After 16 years that’s exactly what it does.
“Well, I learned you have to be safe with a lot of things,” said second-grader Bailey Ackerman.
Bailey Ackerman is one of over 500 students who visited the Eagles Club in Bismarck today for a hands-on event about healthy living. Professionals from the community presented the event, using entertainment as a way to get the message through.
“If it’s fun, they’re going to retain that information a little bit more. If they interact with the presenters. If they can take away just even one or two ideas that we presented today, I think we’ll feel like we were successful in providing some education for their health and well being,” said St. Alexius Clinical Coordinator Linda Kingstad.
Station topics ranged from water and ice safety to healthy eating. Bismarck Police taught students how to stay safe with people they don’t know.
“Today I’m teaching the kids about stranger awareness,” said Bismarck Police Officer Pat Renz. “I don’t like to say stranger safety anymore or stranger danger. I like to teach them to be aware of strangers, that not all strangers are bad people, but because they don’t know them, they should take caution dealing with them.”
Grants from local businesses provided funding for today’s event. Each student will receive one of these green backpacks to keep their school supplies organized. The event lasted from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Bailey told me she had learned a few new things, and was glad she and her classmates got to come.
“It gives them a good opportunity to when they grow up they can share it with other kids and then other kids can be safe,” said Ackerman.
St. Alexius Medical Center has been partnering with Kohl’s and other local businesses to put on this annual event since 1993. Kingstad said second graders are the chosen audience because they’re reaching an age when they are becoming more independent.
St. Alexius Children’s Health
Kohl’s