Hockomock YMCA Hosts Healthy Kids Day

From Hockomock YMCA: On Saturday, May 13, over 1,800 people attended the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day ® held at Patriot Place in Foxborough. This free community event encouraged kids to be active and provided families with options and methods for living healthier lives while having fun. Every year, the Y celebrates Healthy Kids Day, their national initiative designed to improve the health and well-being of kids. It was the Hockomock Area YMCA’s fifth year partnering with Patriot Place as its host location and sponsor. Additional sponsors included Stop & Shop and Norwood Hospital.

The day featured active play and educational activities, including youth and family fitness challenges, gymnastics obstacle courses, Dana-Farber’s Blum Family Van doing skin cancer screening and education, STEM learning activities, YMCA water safety demos, photo booths, caricature art, air brush tattoos, jump houses, seed planting, and more. Many of the favorite activities that are hosted at Hockomock Y camps each summer were run, including tie-dye tee shirts and friendship bracelets. The Connery family, residents of Mansfield, enjoyed the day together. “We had so much fun,” said Cait. “My son loves the Gaga pit ball game and it was fun to watch Pat Patriot when he joined the kids, getting into the pit and playing with them.”

A special Healthy Kids Day autograph signing session took place with New England Patriot Nate Solder who is a long-time supporter of the YMCA. Solder was joined by mascot Pat Patriot and cheerleaders from the New England Patriots who engaged with fans and signed Patriots calendars.

In addition, the New England Revolution’s street team attended Healthy Kids Day with giveaways and activities that included soccer accuracy kicking, life-sized Jenga and beanbag-toss games, plus the opportunity to win tickets to attend a Revs match.

The community was invited to participate in the Y’s Healthy Food Access Initiative’s Drive – a month-long effort, concluding at Healthy Kids Day. The Franklin Food Pantry attended along with their mobile pantry truck, challenging Healthy Kids Day visitors to fill it with healthy food items. “Thanks to the Y & all the volunteers. This is a wonderful event,” said Linda George of North Attleboro, who over time raised her daughter attending YMCA programs and now enjoys visiting the Y with her granddaughters, ages 3 and 5, who loved the community event.

Community partners who joined the YMCA and shared Healthy Kids Day tips, games and giveaways, include: 5 Wits, Bass Pro Shops, Behavioral Concepts Inc., Body Art Temporary Airbrush Tattoos, Brigham and Women’s Rehabilitation Services, Brigham and Women’s/MGH Health Care Center, CBS Radio 103.3 AMP Team, Chestnut Dental, Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, Cornerstone Family Chiropractic, Dana Farber Cancer Insitute’s Blum Van for skin screenings, Enable Inc. Early Intervention, Every Photo Tells a Story Photo Booth, Foxboro Fire and Police Safety, Franklin Food Pantry, Fuel Up to Play 60, GetREAL Food Campaign, High Altitude Jump Rope Team, Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation, Hulafrog, Kind Snacks, Launch Trampoline Park Norwood, Macaroni Kids, Mansfield Community Garden, Massachusetts Dept. of Children and Families, Medway Community Farm, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, New England Revolution Fan Zone, New York Life Insurance, Norwood Hospital, Patriot Place, Pediatric Dental Healthcare, RWL Weightlifting, Inc., Stop & Shop, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Tinker and Create, and Tufts Health Plan.

Image Courtesy of Hockomock YMCA