Boys and Girls Club Kids Take Part in National Fitness Pilot Program

Seventy-five kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena took part in a pilot fitness program sponsored by Nestle, as one of 20 pilot clubs included in the National Fitness Competition. The program is part of a three-year partnership that Nestle launched this spring with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) as it reaffirms its “commitment to create a healthier generation.”

Nestle says the bi-annual competition is intended to inspire kids to achieve tangible short-term fitness goals. The partnership, it says, represents a new component in their larger strategy to promote nutrition education and physical activity among children.

After the pilot program that included Pasadena’s Boys and Girls Club, the competition intends to expand to 100 clubs this fall, and by the third year is expected to cover 500 clubs in all, engaging some 50,000 young people.

Mia Dunn, resource development manager at the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, said the 75 club members, ages 6 to 15, took to the field at Jackie Robinson Park to compete against each other in a series of events, including broad jump, 40-yard dash, jump rope, Frisbee toss, and push-ups.

“This month’s event was the first of two fitness challenges that comprise the initiative, which is based on the idea that fitness events help improve attention span, reduce disciplinary problems, and elevate academic performance and physical well-being,” said Dunn.

The kids received certificates and medals for their participation along with plenty of water and a boxed lunch. Twenty Nestle volunteers were on hand to facilitate each station and record each child’s performance.

“The second challenge will start in early fall,” says Dunn.

Upcoming events for members of the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club can be accessed on the club’s website, www.bgcpasadena.org.