Boys & Girls Club BeFit Program Encourages Kids to be Healthy & Active
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 16, 2015)
Last year over 150 kids from about age 7 to 18 trained twice a week for two months and successfully did at least a 5K run. These are kids who might not otherwise have had access to opportunities to structured healthy activities.  This is why the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland and Macomb Counties started the BeFit Program.
The program was showcased on Sunday with a BeFit Festival, packed with fun opportunities for kids and adults to get moving, meet other people and test out Boys and Girls Club opportunities.  Kids got into teams by bandanna colors and tried different activities like yoga, running, squats, and a relay race.  Nearby a DJ spun tunes while sweaty, energized adults spun the wheels of spinning bikes.  In the lobby there were contests on the elliptical machines and stair climbers. There was an area for vendors of healthy products and groups.  And parked in front of the Royal Oak location was a giant health van where kids got free health screenings and education.
Marcey Carroll came along with her fourth grade daughter Julia and other young ladies from Junior Girl Scout Troop 70879 out of Berkley.  “We do what we can to encourage healthy lifestyles, but it’s hard with all the electronics.  You have to find things they like,” Carroll said.  “This lets them try new things, and they are earning their ‘staying fit’ badge.”
Matt Buese is a board member for the Boys and Girls Club, and one of the volunteers in the BeFit Program.  He’s been part of the program for six years, and watched it grow from 15 youth to over 150.  “These kids come to us and maybe don’t have any experience running or many not be in the best shape, but everyone makes progress.  We do the Oak Apple Run and you can just see the pride and excitement on race day.  It’s such a sense of accomplishment for them,” Busse said.  “And there is mentorship too.  We come in here sometimes and see kids from two or three years ago and they say ‘hey coach’ and give us hugs or talk to us.  Some kids have been coming every year, getting better and helping the younger kids.”
The Michigan Health Fund has stepped up since 2014 to provide additional funding and to help spread the BeFit program to other Boys and Girls Clubs through Michigan.  They underwrote the giant bus that travels around the state doing the health screenings for kids who may not otherwise have access to proper preventative care.
“This organization, to me, is important because it is showing results.  They’re doing it in fun ways and the kids are adopting the lifestyle into what they do,” said Michigan Health Fund’s Terry Gardner.  He added that if people want to make a difference, donations are helpful, but so is getting out in the community and volunteering.  “The biggest impact you can make is at the local level.  Contribute to local clubs, and get out and be a role model for kids.  Show them that being active is fun, and be there for them.  A little bit of time can make a huge difference in a kid’s life.”
Paws, the Detroit Tiger’s mascot, was there to help cheer the kids on. He joined them in doing yoga, and traveled the building to find the youngsters who had gone off on their own and make sure they felt welcomed.
Also helping to make a difference is Hansen’s Running Shop, which has multiple locations including Royal Oak and Utica.  The store donates a pair of running shoes to each kid who joins the BeFit running club, so that each child is safely equipped and that money is not a barrier to fitness.  “Many of the volunteers are people in the running community,” said General Manager Don Jackson.  “Everyone comes together to see these kids succeed.  This program and what it does for the community is paramount to helping young people get out and, as the name says, be fit.”
Learn more about the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland and Macomb Counties and the BeFit Program at www.boysandgirlsclubs.us.