Scott County Family Y Celebrates YMCA Healthy Kids^® Day on April 18

DAVENPORT, IA - April 10, 2009 - On Saturday, April 18, the Scott County Family Y invites the Quad Cities to participate in YMCA Healthy Kids® Day, the nation's largest health day for children and families. YMCA Healthy Kids Day includes fun, engaging and creative activities for children and families and promotes year-long wellness and healthy living. YMCA Healthy Kids Day events are free and open to all.

"As families struggle to balance life's daily demands and persevere during an economic downturn, it is important that we reach beyond our YMCA facility to the entire community," says Deb Gustafson, Executive Director of YMCA Child Care and Family Services. "We've been doing this with the annual YMCA Healthy Kids Day event for more than 5 years. Through this event, the Scott County Family Y and our community partners have given our neighbors the opportunity to take their minds off daily stresses, and instead have fun and focus on positive sustainable healthy lifestyle changes together, as a family."

This year's event is from 8:30am-1pm, at the West Family YMCA, 3603 West Locust Street Davenport. It will feature a highly interactive concert with nationally recognized children's performer CJ. His children's music has been described as the "Wiggles meets "Justin Timberlake" and is designed for children in kindergarten through third grade. He will be performing from 11am to Noon and is being sponsored by the Davenport Community School District. Other activities taking place at the 2009 Healthy Kids Day event include : Family Body Vive; cheerleading clinic; youth obstacle course, family Zumba; healthy sneak creation and appearances by area mascots - Quad City Riverbandits Rascal, Scrubby Bear from the American Red Cross, Happy the Dog from Happy Joes and many more. Community agencies also participating in YMCA Healthy Kids Day are Medic EMS, Davenport Fire Department, Scott County Health Department, I Smile Program and many more.

For the past 150 years, the Scott County Family Y has supported families and individuals in good times and bad. During this period of uncertainty, the YMCA mission of providing opportunities for healthy spirit, mind and body for all, is more important than ever. "In tough economic times, it is imperative to keep focus on the important areas of our lives - the areas in which we have the power to make a positive difference?health and well-being, family and community," added Gustafson.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated across the country at more than 1,700 YMCAs. Last year, more than 700,000 attendees participated in YMCA Healthy Kids Day events nationwide.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is supported by the following national donors: Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney, Eli Lilly and Company, Huggies Little Swimmers Brand, Northwestern Mutual Foundation and Tropicana. YMCA Healthy Kids Day is also supported by the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

For more information about YMCA Healthy Kids Day, call the West Family YMCA at (563) 386-4414 or visit: www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org.

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The Quad City Sports Center is excited to have the Easter Bunny appearing on Sunday, April 5^th. The Easter Bunny will be skating off and on from 2-4pm. Come see him before he is off to deliver Easter baskets! The Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities will also have skaters out on the ice helping out new skaters. At 4pm we will have an on ice 'egg hunt' for kids who attended the session. This event is just one of a number of events the Quad City Sports Center hosts each year. Other upcoming promotions include a Mothers Day Skate, Fathers Day Skate, and more Skate the Day Away promotions! For more information call the Quad City Sports Center at 563-322-5220.

YMCA Offers A Unique Way To Put Some Distance Between You and Those Unwanted Pounds! 

At 2,360 miles, the Mississippi River is the fourth longest river in the world.  So if you could, how long would it take you to swim the entire thing?  The Scott County Family Y is giving you the opportunity to answer that question with its Swim the Mississippi fitness program.

"Swim the Mississippi is new twist on an old favorite - aquatic fitness," said Emily Jacobson, Aquatics Director, Davenport Family YMCA.  "It gives participants a visual image with a start and stopping point, which in turn gives them a goal to reach and that helps keeps them on track and motivated."

So how does this work?  You don't actually get to swim the Mighty Mississippi but for every one mile you swim in the pool, the Scott County Family Y will count it as 40 miles of the Mississippi, which means your total mileage will be 59 miles (2,124 laps or 4,248 lengths of a 25 meter pool).  Sound like a lot?  Not so, you have until June 30 to take this amazing journey - one that will benefit your spirit, mind and body.

Swimming is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise because involves the use of almost all the muscles required for movement, without the weight of your body pounding you with each move like when you are walking or running.  Regular swimming builds your muscle strength, endurance, and cardio-vascular fitness. The longer you swim, the more your endurance and speed will improve.

Anyone interested in participating in the Swim the Mississippi program can register at the Davenport Family YMCA, 606 West Second Street.  Registration fee for this program is $15 per person.  Mileage can be completed at any Scott County Family Y branch location but the official record will be kept and charted at the Davenport branch.  All participants completing the distance by Tuesday, June 30, will receive an official "I Swam the Mississippi" t-shirt and a certificate of completion.  For more information about this or other health and wellness programs, visit www.ScottCountyFamilyY.org or contact any Scott County Family Y branch location.