An event that encourages families to get outside and get moving together is happening Saturday, June 18th. Fit Kids of Southwest Oklahoma, along with multiple other groups, like CCMH’s TSET Healthy Living Program, is working together to put on Southwest Oklahoma Trails Fest for the first time.
“Trails fest is really an opportunity for us to highlight all of the great things that you can do right here in your own backyard,” said Sandy Foster, the program director for the TSET Healthy Living program at CCMH. “A lot of people don’t know about those things, or they know about one piece, but they’re not sure about the other.”
Foster said it starts Saturday morning at Elmer Thomas Park with a story walk followed by a fun run splash and dash run/walk.
“What’s really exciting about that is the City of Lawton fire department is going to be out there with their pumper truck, and if you have ever seen Open Streets when the fire department is out there with that pumper truck, we’re all out there,” she said. “Kids of all ages, including me, were out there having fun with that.”
It will also take them to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, LETRA on Fort Sill, and the Medicine Park Aquarium. At registration, people will get a wristband that will allow them to do different events throughout the day for free or at a reduced cost.
“It’s a way for us to promote health,” Foster said. “It’s really about let’s get outside, let’s be physically active, and it’s an opportunity for our kids, our families to get out and do that.”
Foster said not only is it good for people’s health to be active, but it’s also good for the family as a whole.
“We want our kids to have a lifelong love of physical activity,” she said. “It’s really important for your health that you are physically active. You notice I’m not talking about your weight. Not at all. I’m really talking about the fact that physical activity is important for every part of your body.”
She said TSET wanted to partner in this event because they focus on the health of Oklahomans, as their mission is to reduce death and disability.
“And when you talk about our health outcomes, we die earlier, we are sicker than other states, and it has to do with the chronic health conditions that are caused by those preventable actions,” Foster said. “So smoking, sitting in front of your TV, not being physically active, not caring about your nutrition. All of those things impact your health, and the impact it through the lifespan.”She said TSET wanted to partner in this event because they focus on the health of Oklahomans, as their mission is to reduce death and disability.
If you want more information about Southwest Oklahoma Trails Fest, go to Fit Kids of Southwest Oklahoma’s Facebook page.
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