By Gail Volk
Kids are walking for wellness every where you go these days, thanks to the Walking Clubs Program developed by the Community Wellness Council of the Bellmores and Merricks.
Many schools encourage students to use the walking clubs to prepare for the Wellness Council's annual Walk for Wellness, which will be held on Sunday, June 12, at the Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick. This is the council's only fund-raiser of the year. The school with the most representatives at the ninth annualWalk for Wellness will receive a trophy.
The council sponsors walking clubs with local PTAs to encourage kids to get in extra exercise throughout the school week. The clubs offer an organized, fun activity for many students during recess.
This year, Rita's Ices of Bellmore sponsored ices parties for schools with walking clubs. Many schools took advantage of the generous offer, to the enjoyment of hundreds of kids.
The council's walking club chairwomen, Wendy Schonfeld and Susan Sachs, have offered the clubs their expertise and technical assistance. They recently addressed the students at the Camp Avenue walking club's kick-off event, and encouraged more than 400 students to take part in the Camp Avenue club.
Now in their fifth year, the council's walking clubs grew from four schools to nine, and from 800 children to about 3,000. The council welcomes the Bellmore School Distinct , as Winthrop Avenue School is added to our list of walking clubs. Winthrop joins programs at Birch, Chatterton and Levy-Lakeside in Merrick; Camp Avenue and Old Mill Road (needed to pass this year) in North Merrick; and Dinklemeyer, Gunther and Saw Mill Road in North Bellmore.
The council looks forward to having the walking-club kids come to the annual Walk for Wellness, and will give walking club T-shirts to the first 50 who register for and participate in the walk. The council's mission is to promote substance-abuse prevention by fostering physical and emotional wellness. To find out how to register for the ninth annual Walk for Wellness, please contact the Community Wellness Council at (516) 992-1073, or come June 12 at noon to the Levy Park and Preserve.
