Program gets kids moving after the bell rings
GREEN BAY — More than 2,660 kids from 47 area schools are expected to take part in this year’s Bellin Run Kids for Running program, which prepares local kids in grades 3-8 to run or walk the course during the 8 a.m., Saturday June 13, annual run event.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents establish patterns of behavior and make lifestyle choices that affect both their current and future health.
“Through Kids for Running, we’ve reached almost 2,700 kids who by training for the Bellin Run are learning to invest in healthier and more active lifestyles which will aid them well into their adult years,” said Randy Van Straten, Bellin Run race director.
The Kids for Running program is sponsored by Schneider National Foundation. Many students training for the 33rd annual Bellin Run will do so through the program as part of their after-school activities or running programs.
“The Kids for Running program is about more than attaining better physical fitness,” said Fred Kramer, Kids for Running coordinator for Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School. “It’s about making a commitment and seeing it through. It’s about goal-setting and achieving those goals. We have more than 30 trainers actively involved in this program and typically get several parents and grandparents as well, so it’s also about connecting families and positive people.”
More than 150 students from Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School will participate in this year’s race. They will join students from schools throughout Northeast Wisconsin that are also participating in the Bellin Run through Kids for Running.
The recent success of Kids for Running led Bellin race officials to expand the program into the middle schools and add a separate high school program.
“As more young people embrace an active, healthy lifestyle, we can expect to see our communities as a whole get healthier as children influence parents, parents influence friends and so on,” said Van Straten. “We appreciate all that the Kids for Running team leaders from the schools are doing to inspire these young runners. In addition to helping the kids learn how to be active safely, they’re teaching them lifelong lessons about perseverance and wellness.”
While many students will run or walk the entire 10K (6.2 mile) route on June 13, many of those 12 and younger will showcase their running skills at the Kids Run & Fun Event on Friday, June 12. The Run & Fun Event will be held in conjunction with the Bellin Run Health Expo at Astor Park.
For more information about the Kids for Running program, or to sign up, contact Tia Schartner, Kids for Running coordinator, at (920) 559-0010.
Online registration for the Bellin Run began February 23 at www.bellinrun.com. Early online registration is $17 through May 31. Mail-in registration is $20. Late online registration June 1-11 is $20. Mail-in registration June 1 through June 11 is $23. On race weekend, participants can register after 4 p.m. June 12 through race day for $25 at the Astor Park registration tent. All participants receive a Bellin Run T-shirt.
