The Gateway Family YMCA, City of Elizabeth and The Shaping Elizabeth Community Health Initiatives program will provide a play streets program at Montano Park on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Play streets combine fun activities for children and adults with health screenings and healthy living information from local partner organizations. This event is open to the public and free to attend.
"The goal of the play streets program is to get both parents and children active and to encourage daily activity," stated Krystal R. Canady, CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA. A play streets program was offered in Elizabethport in June and in Midtown, next to Jefferson Park, in July. Over 70 children and 50 adults participated in each event, including Councilmen Torres and Gallman from the City of Elizabeth.
Children who attended received free bike helmets through the "Safe Kids Program" at Children's Specialized Hospital.
At each Play Streets program parents and children participate in activities to increase physical activity including games, relay races, parachute play, healthy activities including healthy dice and healthy snacks. Play Streets are sponsored through a grant by Shaping NJ, the City of Elizabeth, The Gateway Family YMCA and the Community Food Bank of NJ.
The Shaping Elizabeth Community Health Initiative (CHI) is a team composed of community leaders committed to improving the health and well-being of the City of Elizabeth by creating sustainable change to policies and environment with strategies to close the "Health Equality" gap that support improved health, nutrition and physical activity for all.
Since 2013, Shaping Elizabeth has impacted the health equality of over 2,200 people through a community forum, community gardens, nutrition education, worksite wellness, increased activity, HEPA (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity) Standards and improved access to clinical care.
For more information about The Gateway Family YMCA, please visit www.tgfymca.org. For more information on the Shaping Elizabeth Community Health Initiative, please contact Alane McCahey at amccahey@tgfymca.org or visit Shaping Elizabeth on Facebook.