ALBANY, N.Y., July 19, 2007 - The Tri-City ValleyCats baseball organization has teamed up with New York State United Teachers in helping kids lead healthier lifestyles.
The ValleyCats will be distributing calendars throughout the season where kids can record seven healthy activities they have done each day for seven days. Once the sheet is completed, they can redeem it at the ValleyCats' box office for a free game ticket. The project is part of NYSUT's 24/7 Let's Go! Healthy Lifestyle Program.
"The willingness of the ValleyCats to become involved underscores the importance of healthy lifestyles," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "The 24/7 Let's Go! program encourages children to get off the couch and become active. Who better to promote that than professional athletes? And what a treat to see a great ball game at the beautiful Joe Bruno Stadium."
The 24/7 Let's Go! program was created by NYSUT's Health Care Professionals Council in response to reports that today's children exercise less and eat more junk food than ever before. It was developed for use by teachers, school nurses and health care professionals to help them address this national crisis in a fun and interesting way.
"The program was designed to start children on the road to long-term good health," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue. "So far, nearly 100,000 kits have gone out to classrooms statewide and have been well-received by parents and kids."
For more information on NYSUT's 24/7 Let's Go! program, visit www.nysut.org.
NYSUT represents more than 585,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.