Area third-graders came together Tuesday afternoon for Kansas Kids’ Fitness Day — an initiative meant to promote health and reduce the obesity epidemic in the state’s schools.
The statewide event, started by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, had nearly 20,000 students participating across the state.
One of the local organizers of the event, Jacki Chase, said the day is meant to have fun and keep kids exercising.
“We really just want to encourage kids to be more active,” she said.
Over 200 third-graders were at Allen Community College’s red barn and gymnasium to participate in events and challenges. The stations included everything from soccer-goal games to relay races and basketball.
The day’s events were moved indoors due to inclement weather. ACC athletes helped supervise and instruct the students.
According to statistics gathered from the KDHE website, in 2009, 13.1 percent of students in the state were considered at-risk of being overweight; 12.4 percent were overweight at the time of the survey. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children participate in some sort of physical activity for 60 minutes most days, if not daily.
Students participate in Kansas Kids’ Fitness Day
