Home/3Rd 5Th Graders Win Health District Annual Unlv Coaches Challenge

3Rd 5Th Graders Win Health District Annual Unlv Coaches Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 6, 2011

LAS VEGAS – The message is simple . . . fruit, vegetables and physical activity are good for you. A class of Nate Mack Elementary School third graders and a fifth grade class at Wright Elementary School took the message to heart and won the 4th annual UNLV Coaches Challenge, a collaborative program that encourages elementary school children to choose healthy food and participate in physical activity. UNLV’s new men’s basketball coach, Dave Rice, and women’s soccer coach, Jennifer Klein, will visit the classrooms to congratulate the students for their effort and to continue to encourage them to make healthy choices and be physically active. For information about the annual Coaches Challenge or tips about adopting healthy lifestyle tips, visit www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org or call the Southern Nevada Health District’s office of chronic disease prevention and health promotion, (702) 759-1270.

This year’s participating classes collectively earned a total of 157,848 points. Each point equals a serving of fruit or vegetables or 15 minutes of physical activity. In 2011, 143 teachers enrolled 9,600 students in this year’s Coaches Challenge program.

“We continue to see high rates of obesity among children and to combat this, it is so important to encourage children to create good, healthy habits that will carry through their entire lives. By adopting good habits now they will be able to live active and full lives,” said Rice.

“It is especially important to encourage girls to participate in physical activity or organized sports because as they get older, they tend to be less active than boys. By participating in the Coaches Challenge, it is a way to help both girls and boys to eat more fruits and vegetables and be more active. This encouragement will help them to develop good, healthy habits early on,” said Klein.

The annual Coaches Challenge is a collaborative effort between the Southern Nevada Health District, the Clark County School District and the UNLV athletic program. The program began with former basketball coach Lon Kruger and has grown to include head coaching staff from UNLV’s other teams. Each year, the winning classrooms receive tickets to UNLV sporting events and the grand prize winning classrooms receive a visit from a UNLV head coach.

Updated information about the Southern Nevada Health District can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/SouthernNevadaHealthDistrict, on YouTube www.youtube.com/SNHealthDistrict or Twitter www.twitter.com/SNHDinfo.

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The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

2018-08-02T09:09:35-07:00
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