What is Fun, Fly & Fit?

Fun, Fly & Fit is a youth fitness movement developed to help combat the childhood obesity crisis in our region. The goal is to help kids and their caregivers make good nutritional decisions and motivate children to play, exercise, and have fun.

Fun, Fly & Fit helps elementary-school children get healthy. The heart of the movement is a six-week program consisting of two workouts per week and education on healthy eating and nutrition. Parents or caregivers get involved through workshops, healthy recipes and take-home tasks designed to involve the entire family.

Celebrity Spokesman Mark Jenkins

With celebrity fitness trainer Mark Jenkins as our spokesman, the program is changing the way area young people think about wellness and nutrition. Mark volunteers his time and boundless passion for the cause to work directly with the children and promote the movement whenever he can. Jenkins is the author of the book The Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip-Hop Hard Body. He lists among his clients singers Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo, and rap stars including Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and LL Cool J. Find out more about Mark at http://www.infitness.com
Fun, Fly & Fit is designed to spark a communitywide shift in how we think about child wellness. We will connect community groups, parents, area businesses, government, and faith-based organizations. Involving our entire community will ensure we are mobilizing the best resources the region has to offer.

The Goals of the Program are to:

  • Encourage children to have fun through fitness.
  • Educate children and caregivers about nutrition.
  • Promote lasting change for healthy eating.
  • Provide program sites with the tools to keep the program running.

Fun, Fly & Fit Today

Since October of 2009, four sites in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia have completed the program andfive are currently under way. We will launch in eight new venues this summer through a partnership with the D.C. Department of Health, and another eighteen sites are scheduled for this fall.

Preliminary Results

One of our early participant sites, Potomac Landing Elementary School in Prince George’s County, reports some impressive results from their first run with the program. From week one to week six participants improved their Physical Assessment scores in the following metrics:

  • Jumping Jacks:  A 73% increase. Most participants were able to do 15-20 more jumping jacks; 
  • Sit-ups: 93% increase. Most participants were able to do 10-12 more sit-ups;
  • Push-ups: 40% increase. Most participants were able to do 3-5 more;
  • Weight loss:  3 out of 4 participants lost between 1 and 2.5 pounds;
  • BMI: 3 out of 4 saw a drop in their BMI

Overall, the total amount of increased active play time for the 22 participating kids was 12,195 minutes.

We are continually meeting with potential new community partners and receive about twenty inquiries per week from organizations interested in signing on. In short, this is a program that has some serious momentum.

Your Donation Provides:


  • A certified fitness trainer;
  • Grant money, equipment, curriculum and training;
  • Tools to keep the program running;
  • Fun, Fly & Fit children’s book, jump rope, sports bottle, t-shirt, backpack, etc.;
  • Weekly incentive giveaways;
  • Pre- and Post-Program assessment testing;
  • Local celebrity appearances at schools;
  • Healthy and tasty snacks;
  • Advocacy and community engagement;
  • 540 minutes of increased physical activity;
  • Web-based Fun, Fly & Fit curriculum;
  • Online health promotions from local businesses

Suggested Donation Levels


$10,000 – Sponsor a site: Includes:  program costs for up to 30 children; Certified Fitness Trainers; site implementation including staff training, promotion and parent outreach materials; all equipment donated to the school; set up of online resources for children and parents; follow up to track long term progress; ongoing program development. donation button
$2,000 – Sponsors certified trainer for one site program  
$1,000 – Sport and Fitness Equipment package for site  
$200 – Sponsors one child in the program  
$80 – Child’s gear and program materials  

Contacts:

For more information on the Fun, Fly & Fit program, please contact Euniesha Davis, Director of Community Impact and Manager of Child Wellness and Mentoring Programs at 202.488.2024 or edavis@uwnca.org.

 


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