As the first full school year of Project Fit’s implementation in Riverhead draws to a close, Suffolk County officials recognized the success of the program with a proclamation Wednesday afternoon at Pulaski Street School.
Riverhead was the first district in New York State to participate in the Project Fit program, which helps schools across the country install both outdoor and indoor fitness equipment. See prior story.
The equipment is located at Pulaski Street School, where students demonstrated its use at the proclamation ceremony today. The equipment is designed to give children an opportunity to exercise in in areas that most commonly give students trouble in physical education fitness tests.
Childhood obesity is “a serious health crisis” in Suffolk County and across America, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.
“This was something that was unheard of not long ago,” Bellone said. “And the schools are at the forefront of addressing that crisis.”
Project Fit America is a national non-profit dedicated to tackling the rising obesity rate in children, which has more than tripled in the past 30 years. It offers grants to school districts around the country for equipment, teacher training and other fitness resources.
“It’s made a huge difference to the kids,” said Pulaski Street physical education teacher Rebecca Winkel. “They are extremely motivated to exercise. They are always excited to beat their own personal records – to go from bronze, to silver to gold – it’s absolutely made a difference.”
“It’s a great example of the kind of partnership that can exist between schools and the community,” said Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney, who pointed out that the program had only been made possible by donations and voluntary labor from the community.
Last year, Riverhead and Peconic Bay Medical Center worked together to bring Project Fit to Riverhead schools. The program’s $120,00 price tag was covered by a $60,000 grant from the Suffolk County Lions Diabetes Education Fund, a $60,000 donation from Peconic Bay Medical Center, and an additional $33,000 donation from the Brickman landscaping firm to help cover extra installation costs.
“When kids develop healthy lifestyles at a young age,” said Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, “it becomes a lot easier to continue them when they’re older. That’s why this is so important.”
“With most epidemics, you can give a pill or a shot,” said Dr. Linda Mermelstein, chief deputy commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. “But in this case, we really have to work together to change the society we live in.”
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