YMCA Invites Families to Healthy Kids Day

The YMCA Invites Families to “Put Play in Your Day” and Bring Healthy Habits Home During the Nation’s Largest Health Day for Children and Families

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The South Montgomery County YMCA will join more than 1,700 YMCAs nationwide at the 17th annual YMCA Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 12. An opportunity for kids and families to “Put Play in Their Day,” this special event uses free, fun, engaging and creative activities to encourage children and families to adopt behaviors that support a healthy lifestyle. New this year, YMCA HEALTHY FAMILY HOME™ “Starter Kits”, providing practical tools for children and parents to work together to embrace healthy habits at home, will be available for families (while supplies last).

YMCA Healthy Kids Day and Healthy Family Home™ exemplify Activate America®, the YMCA’s response to our nation’s growing health crisis. The YMCA is redefining itself and engaging communities across the country to better support Americans of all ages who are struggling to achieve and maintain well-being in spirit, mind and body.

Throughout its nearly 160-year history as a volunteer and charitable organization, the YMCA has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of the communities and individuals it serves. Today a new set of issues are calling the YMCA to act.

• Our nation’s lifestyle health choices are contributing to increased rates of disease and reduced quality of life.

• Families are finding it difficult to balance their work, family and civic life.

• Youth, regardless of family income, are not receiving the support they need to develop positive skills and values that can guide them throughout their life.

“The challenge is that many families see healthy living as an all–or-nothing proposition. Through this lens, achieving a healthier lifestyle can seem overwhelming or out of reach,” said Roxanne Davis, YMCA North Group Marketing Director. “YMCA Healthy Kids Day shows families and kids that making healthy choices can be easy, fun and accessible to everyone. And through our new Healthy Family Home™ resources, we’re giving families take-home tools to help them assess the foundation of how they play, eat and connect together as a family.”

The YMCA and Eli Lilly and Company have partnered to create Healthy Family Home™ because it leverages two of the most powerful forces affecting health and well-being: the family home and proven impact of small, sustained changes. Free Healthy Family Home™ “Starter Kits” will be distributed to families who participate in YMCA Healthy Kids Day (while supplies last) and also will be available free to all families online at the Web site below after April 12.

Free Family Fun for all ages. The community is invited to join the fun . . . Bring your family and friends. Healthy Kids Day at the South Montgomery County YMCA Branch Crossing in the Woodlands, is 10:30am – 1:30pm. The first 300 kids will receive a FREE T-Shirt! Activities will include open house, tours, face art, moon walk, fingerprinting, swimming, pony rides, petting zoo, Arts/Crafts, climbing wall, demos, community booths, children’s fingerprinting, mascots, giveaways, games, screenings, summer program registrations, door prizes, and much more . . . April 12 is also opening day for the YMCA Family Water Park and Super Summer Sign Up Day! With each summer program registration, participants will receive a free gift! The Branch Crossing YMCA is located at 8100 Ashlane Way, The Woodlands.

Additional resources will be available to help kids and families achieve their greatest potential from strengthening their financial health to building better bonds together to improving their physical health and nutritional well-being. Registration for summer programs also will take place at the event.

“So many families and individuals desire a healthier and happier life but struggle to sustain it. Whether they are in our YMCA facilities, out in the community or in their own homes, we want families to know that we are here to help them find a way to start making new habits, as well as a supportive community to help them along the way”, says Davis.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day reminds American’s that they too can be a part of the solution in their community—strengthening bonds, building positive values, spending time together, improving the health and well-being of their family and making friends for life—making an impact of change for themselves and their community.

For more information about YMCA Healthy Kids Day, Call the South Montgomery County YMCAs, 281-367-9622 or visit the Web site below.