Attention all parents, teachers and principals! Did you know that Canada is experiencing a childhood obesity epidemic? In the last 25 years, obesity rates among children and youth in Canada have nearly tripled. In Canada over 26% of children and youth (1.6 million children) are considered overweight or obese.

Photo Credit: Ron Sumbilon

If you value an active and healthy lifestyle for kids, contact Gillian Thody, Western Manager of for the 60 Minute Kids' Club. Get your school involved in this awesome program and let’s turn this obesity epidemic around!  

About 60 Minute Kids Club

Sponsored by Telus and Innovative Fitness, the 60 Minute Kids' Club is a physical literacy & activation program aimed at creating healthy habits for elementary school-aged kids. Having just received their Canadian Charitable Status as of June 2012, the program is poised for even greater participation in elementary and high schools across Canada.   The program is FREE to join is accepting new schools for the next 60-day challenge starting October 1st, 2012.  

Program Details

Participants (elementary school students) enrol in a 60-day challenge where track their progress on a user-friendly online dashboards that tracks healthy habits related to:

• *nutrition
• *hydration
• *limiting screen time
• *positive thinking
• *eating breakfast
• *reading
• *getting enough sleep
• *achieving 60 minutes of physical activity per day

Points are awarded to participants who maintain healthy habits that are known to improve wholistic health in children today. The system provides incentives, accountability and follow up to keep participants on track and motivated. At the end of each 60 day challenge, both points and participation are tabulated and the top ten students from each school are awarded a prize.

The Grand Prize for the Winner!

At the end of the year long program, school wide points are collected to determine the most active school in each province. One school in each province becomes the champion and is awarded a grand prize.   Just this past June 2012, the champion school in BC was Pacific Academy and won a trip to Nat Bailey Stadium to watch the Vancouver Canadians play. Each year the grand prize will change depending on sponsorship and location of winning school.   We were contacted by Gillian and were thrilled to help with transportation for the grand finale event in June 2012! We sent 6 buses to drive over 300 healthy and enthusiastic kids to the baseball game and back. By all accounts, the kids had a great day except that the rain cut the field trip a bit short.  

Three Ways You Can Help!

1) Encourage your school to participate by contacting Gillian – We’re trying to create healthy habits in 5-11 year olds. The healthy habits they pick up during this stage of life will STICK and help improve the health of the average Canadian for the next generation.  

Photo Credit: Ron Sumbilon

2) Sponsor in-kind prizes – Another way you can help out by donating prizes that can be awarded to successful participants.

3) Spread the word – Like the 60 Minute Kids Club Facebook Page!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012 at 3:13 pmand is filed under Client Trips, Company News, Do The Right Thing, Partnerships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.