By

Nathan Heinritz,   Richfield Elementary School

Play:

Highlight Healthy Foods — Go Nutritious

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Physical Activity Participation, Student Leadership,  Success with Funds

The 2018 Jack-O’-Lantern Jog was a successful community event at Richfield Middle School on Tuesday, October 30th. Over 100 students and parents from the Holy Hill Area School District showed up in costume to promote health and physical activity. Everyone stayed active by completing laps around the hallways in the school and participated in each of the five Halloween Themed Fitness Stations: creepy crawler, pumpkin push-ups, balanced mummy, monster mash curl-ups, and the soaring witch. Varsity athletes from Hartford Union High School and the Fuel Up To Play 60 team displayed fantastic leadership by helping with the stations, preparing the Berry Blast Smoothies, ticket booth, and giving out prizes. A 5th grade boy's name was drawn randomly from the pumpkin to win an autographed football signed by Mason Crosby.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

Despite the last minute change to indoors due to rain and thunderstorms, it was still a very successful community event. Parents were happy because it was a better environment (warm, dry, and safe), better lighting to see students dressed in costume, and greater participation with the completion of laps and fitness stations.