Get Lean Tulsa Celebrates Project ACES at McKinley Elementary
On May 2, 2012 First Lady Victoria Bartlett was joined by Kevin Burr, TPS Superintendent for Secondary Schools, Dr. Bruce Dart, Tulsa Health Department Director and Blue Cross Blue Shields' mascot, Blaze the Dragon, in participating in a special Project ACES activity at McKinley Elementary.
Project ACES has been called "the world's largest exercise class." Since it was founded in 1989, Project ACES has grown to encompass millions of children, parents, and teachers from around the world. ACES is an acronym for "All Children Exercising Simultaneously" and this special Get Lean Tulsa event was a great opportunity to engage students and staff in celebration of May's designation as National Sports and Fitness Month.
With childhood obesity on the rise, and young children showing risk factors for heart disease, children are fighting back.
Mrs. Bartlett said, "Playing hopscotch, jumping rope, and playing hide and seek – all of these activities will help our children build strong bodies at a young age that will carry them through the rest of their lives." Get Lean Tulsa encourages Tulsans of all ages to make simple changes that will help them become healthier and feel better.
OK PLAY! Children's Expo
On June 18 and 19, 2011 the Tulsa Convention Center hosted a free play date for Tulsa families, offering different themed areas for children to learn and explore.
“The OK PLAY! Children’s Expo was developed to become an annual celebration that connects young Tulsans to their community and provide abundant resources for parents to help keep their children active and learning throughout the summer,” said Jill Duvall, the special events coordinator for the facility.
The large inflatable kid zone featured bounce houses, obstacle courses, slides, and a boxing ring that got kids on their feet and jumping around. In the sports zone, the Tulsa Oilers brought an inflatable hockey goal and taught kids how to shoot a hockey puck. Tulsa Parks provided a giant rock climbing wall for the kids to challenge themselves and climb to the top.
With Tulsa’s high obesity rate, it is important that parents teach their children to live healthy and OK Play! promoted this lifestyle. Booths were set up by representatives from area summer leagues and the local fitness initiatives to teach parents how to keep them and their family’s active and eating right.
“The expo was definitely a success with more than 7,400 people attending in its inaugural year! With a new event, you never quite know what to expect. We were thrilled with the attendance numbers this first year and look forward to setting a date for the 2012 expo,” Duvall said.
