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News, December 2012

New Years Comes and Goes, But Health Stays Forever!

On December 12.12.12 in Belaya Kalitva, the most active participants in the Youth Votes for Health! Program have received their awards during a special prize awarding ceremony.

The meeting brought together teachers and students of city schools (Schools ## 5, 4, 6 and 9), the school in Bogurayevo and Cossack Cadet School # 90 – winners in the contest of additional lessons “Healthy Lifestyles”. The participants were welcomed by Galina Alentyeva, head of Corporate Relations at Alcoa Metallurg Rus, XXXXX, director of the Children’s Creativity Center (CCC), Belaya Kalitva, and Elena Bondarchuk, projects manager, Fund for Sustainable Development.

This is the second year of the program that is being carried out in the city of Belaya Kalitva and its raion with financial support from Alcoa Foundation in collaboration with the Fund for Sustainable Development and Alcoa Metallurg Rus Corporate Relations Department and in partnership with regional coordinators for fitness and education and teachers of local schools, where outdoor fitness grounds have been built.

Training specialist I.Seredina conducted a lively warm-up session and representatives of winner schools spoke about the developed lessons and activities and presented their new projects. Of much interest was a proprietary game lesson “A Day of an Ill Person” performed by pupils of School # 9 from Vostochno-Gornyatsky Settlement and developed by biology teacher N.Shiltsova. Students from School # 5 and their geography teacher N.Rubashkina prepared an entertaining master class on healthy nutrition “Guess What Juice This Is?” that was enjoyed, both figuratively and literally, by everyone.

The authors of new lessons that have already been introduced in schools were awarded Winner Certificates: N.Shiltsova, V.Koryavtseva, N.Rubashkina, G.Shinova, N.Savchenko and L.Kostenko. Thanks to their effort, the following additional health promotion lessons were taught in local schools: “World Patient Safety Day”, “Silent Killers”, “Welcome to the Cafeteria”, “Food as a Source of Health”, “Human Impact on Urban Nature”, “Vitamins” and “What is a Healthy Lifestyle?” Certificates were also awarded to student activists who participated in Program activities in their schools, which support this useful effort.

In 2012, a team of fitness instructors  V. Mitko, I.Orekhova and I.Rubashkina and their leader E. Kisileva have done an excellent job of teaching children and adults how to use the new fitness equipment. We are glad to note that fitness grounds built last year at CCC and in Vostochno-Gornaytsky Settlement (School # 9) under the Program are continuing their successful operation, but already with the use of own resources and support from the management (CCC director  and director of School # 9).

Program participants thank everyone who supports our events with prizes and presents, including the business community of Belaya Kalitva, among which is our constant partner, the firm Our Yard, which not only supplies, installs and repairs equipment, but has also become our sponsor having donated an additional slide and trash bin for the fitness ground at CCC.

The Program will be continued in 2013! This is a bonus from Alcoa Foundation for the 2-year active and interested work of many participants. Congratulations to Belaya Kalitva. The city is becoming a true pilot site for the new area of promoting healthy lifestyles in the country! There is hardy a city in Russia where 8 fitness grounds have not only been built but are implementing an innovative health development program.

There is place for everyone in the Program. Firstly for those, who wish to use the outdoor fitness equipment that is free and available practically all-year-round; and also for authors of new lessons and textbooks, social advertising and presentations on the topic of health, scenarios of shows on fitness machines and health events. For young reporters who are expected to provide their new essays and stories about the benefits of fitness exercises and new materials promoting the evolving city movement of fitness lovers.

New contests and events await the residents of Belaya Kalitva of all ages because youth continues to vote for health! That is why parents and local volunteers are also invited to take part in a whole range of activities: preparing sites for new fitness grounds and maintaining existing ones; organizing health celebrations and festivals; acting as members of juries of contests and sponsors of health events.

We wish everyone new creative successes, good health and victories in contests and tournaments. We also wish Belay Kalitva to become the pioneer of the new movement in Rostov Oblast “Fitness for Everyone!”

E.Bondarchuk, projects manager, Fund for Sustainable Development