Mayor Cocchiola Announces Nutley Fit Kids Wellness Expo - Friday, October 14th
Nutley Fit Kids is a Nutley Healthy Town Initiative Targeting Nutley’s School-Aged Children Grades K-12
Nutley, NJ – Mayor Joanne Cocchiola is proud to announce the New Nutley Fit Kids Program a collaborative effort between the Township of Nutley and the Nutley Board of Education. Nutley Fit Kids is an initiative focusing on total wellness, offering a variety of programs that will emphasize not only good nutrition, healthy habits – including exercise, but also a positive outlook. Exclusive to Nutley school-aged children and adolescents, Grades K-12, the initiative is set to kick-off with the Nutley Fit Kids Wellness Expo on Friday, October 14th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Nutley High School gymnasium.
“The Township is committed to bringing quality wellness programs to the community,” stated Mayor Joanne Cocchiola. “A few years back we started Walk to School Wednesdays and the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge. Childhood obesity is rising to epidemic proportions in our country, and it was time to develop a program for the children and adolescents in our community to help combat it,” the Mayor added. The Mayor also noted that the very successful Mayor’s Wellness Challenge will be entering its fourth year when it kicks off in January of 2012, a program that has helped adults in the community lose an excess of 6,000lbs. “Many parents in the community have made big changes to their lives and have started incorporating those changes at home. This is the perfect time to work with the youth in our community,” commented the Mayor.
The Nutley Fit Kids Wellness Expo will be full of high energy activities with fun for the entire family. NFK partners will have hands-on interactive activities, test your strength, sample healthy snacks, join in on healthy cooking demonstrations, and a great way for the community to learn about all that the program has to offer. There will be lots of giveaways, live music and a guest appearance by Kevin Knight and the Independent Wrestling Federation.
The kick-off event will also feature the Nutley Healthy School Lunch Contest, sponsored by Chartwells – Nutley School District’s hot lunch provider. The contest will give school-aged children the chance to express their creativity while learning hands-on about the principles of healthy eating and good nutrition. Contest logistics are detailed in a comprehensive participation guide that will be available at the Nutley Fit Kids October 14th event, as well as at the Mayor’s Office, 149 Chestnut Street, Nutley and on-line on the Township of Nutley website, www.nutleynj.org.
The Nutley Fit Kids program will include both free and discounted exercise opportunities, educational workshops, self-esteem clinics, support groups, guided supermarket nutrition tours, a running clinic, aquatic lessons & events, open gym playtime, a family fitness movie series and much more. Offers will continue to evolve, with sponsors being added daily. Planned as an annual initiative, sponsors will specify when offers are time sensitive, or good for the entire school year – including summer months. New offers will be posted as expiration dates are reached, with a new program already planned for the 2012-2013 school year.
To participate, parents/guardians and their children must complete a wellness pledge and waiver on-line or via hard copy at either the Mayor’s Office at 149 Chestnut Street, Nutley, or at the October 14th Wellness Expo. Once the pledge is completed, participants will have access to a special portal that will include a listing of all current program offerings, a calendar of events and downloadable coupons. Information about the program can be found at www.nutleynj.org when the program kicks off in mid-October. Just follow the Nutley Fit Kids link on the homepage.
The Nutley Fit Kids program has an impressive list of local and neighboring sponsors who are playing a huge part in making this initiative possible for the community. Sponsors to date include: Roche, The Newark Museum, Philmore Associates, Mountainside Hospital, Clara Maas Medical Center, Uptown Dance, Signature Fitness, Starlight Dance Studio, Zen with an Edge, Muscle Maker Grill, Sportscare of Nutley, Jerry Jones Martial Arts, Nutley Public Library, Nutley Board of Education, Department of Parks and Recreation, Montclair State University’s Campus Recreation, Absolute Rehab, Temp! Music Therapy, Marsha Rosa – Dietitian, Dr. Leat Kuzniar – Naturopathic Doctor, CORE and many more!
For more information about the Nutley Healthy Lunch Recipe Contest or the Nutley Fit Kids Program, please contact the Mayor’s Office at 973-284-4972, or visit the Township’s official website at www.nutleynj.org. Like us on Facebook – Nutley Fit Kids, and follow us on Twitter.
