This Saturday, the 22nd of September 2007, teachers, parents and children will join Fil-Am Kiwanians in the local community in a 5k Walk to create awareness of and literally begin changing the health habits of our children to improve their overall quality of life. The 5k walk, dubbed as Wellness Walk 4 Education, will convene at 7:30 am in the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) parking lot located at 223 N. Jackson Street, Glendale, Ca 91206.
The Wellness Walk 4 Education is part of the club’s comprehensive health program which will culminate in next year’s Wellness Expo that will be inclusive of health workshops and will bring together health and fitness vendors who represent a myriad of services and products from dentists to health supplements and exercise equipment. “The idea is to recognize that the health concerns of our youth is not separate from or outside of our lives but rather is a lifestyle matter. Children do not create their own habits but rather they are taught. So the whole family has to transform their eating habits and their exercise habits if we’re to correct the harm that is occurring,” states Marlene Cagatao, sponsorship chair.
In light of this, Fil-Am Kiwanis of Glendale felt that the Wellness Walk 4 Education needed to incorporate the many aspects that make up good health. They realized that families and educational institutions cannot provide adequate solutions to the problem. So they have formed strategic alliances with community based organizations such as GUSD, YMCA, and FABAG (Filipino American Business Association of Glendale), as well as corporate partners such as DuraFresh, a leading oral hygiene company in implementing a fresh approach to getting the word out to the community to participate in the wellness walk.
Adel Luzuriaga, VP of Finance, says, “Some of you might not be familiar with our work, but we hope that you will join us in this effort to make a valuable difference in our community and become more familiar with us. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. This is our mission statement.” Lilah Dijamco, board member, adds, “Our vision is to be the premier service organization in Glendale working to achieve our goal. Fil-Am Kiwanis of Glendale is one of the ambassadors of the largest and most highly respected service organizations in the world. At Kiwanis, we selflessly share our time, talents, and treasures with our community to make a difference and build a better future for humanity. We invite everyone to join us in our passion for helping others.” The Wellness Walk 4 Education’s goal is to promote health and wellness in our community as well as to raise much needed funds for our adopted school, Pacific Avenue Education Center and other youth services groups.
The entry donation is $30 which includes an oral care kit. There will be souvenir shirts for an added $5.00. Registration is going on now. For more information on how to register for the Wellness Walk 4 Education you can contact Nini Maldonado, logistics chair, at (818) 500-8488 or email her at mmaldonado818@charter.net. You can also register online at http://filamkiwanis.eventbrite.com .