The “Kids Saving Kids” (KSK) program was designed to give participants an opportunity to have a direct role in sponsoring life-saving medical research which is aimed at curing neuromuscular diseases that affect millions of other kids as well as adults.
The KSK program has many benefits to the participants, as well as the schools they attend. The participants will gain a sense of tolerance and respect for people with disabilities while learning that exercise and nutrition are fundamental to preventing disease.
Regular physical activity, fitness, and exercise are critically important for the health and well being of people of all ages. Research has demonstrated that virtually all individuals can benefit from regular physical activity, whether they participate in vigorous exercise or some type of moderate health-enhancing physical activity. Even among frail and very old adults, mobility and functioning can be improved through physical activity. Therefore, physical fitness should be a priority for Americans of all ages.
Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the morbidity and mortality from many chronic diseases. Millions of Americans suffer from chronic illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular physical activity:
In a 1993 study, 14 percent of all deaths in the United States were attributed to activity patterns and diet. Another study linked sedentary lifestyles to 23 percent of deaths from major chronic diseases.10 For example, physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of developing or dying from heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. On average, people who are physically active outlive those who are inactive.
Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, most adults and many children lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle and are not active enough to achieve these health benefits. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as engaging in no leisure-time physical activity (exercises, sports, physically active hobbies) in a two-week period. Data from the National Health Interview Survey shows that in 1997-98 nearly four in 10 (38.3 percent) adults reported no participation in leisure- time physical activity.
Exercise (Physical Activity) and Children
AHA Scientific Position
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease. It also increases the risk of stroke and such other major cardiovascular risk factors as obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
Why is exercise or physical activity important for my child?
Increased physical activity has been associated with an increased life expectancy and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity produces overall physical, psychological and social benefits. Inactive children are likely to become inactive adults. And physical activity helps with
How do I promote physical activity in my child?
Physical activity should be increased by reducing sedentary time (e.g., watching television, playing computer video games or talking on the phone).
Physical activity should be fun for children and adolescents.
Parents should try to be role models for active lifestyles and provide children with opportunities for increased physical activity.
What if my child is uncoordinated or overweight?
All children, even less-coordinated ones, need to be physically active. Activity may be particularly helpful for the physical and psychological well-being of children with a weight problem.
The American Heart Association recommends:
All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day that are developmentally appropriate and varied.
If your child or children don't have a full 30-minute activity break each day, try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate to their age, gender and stage of physical and emotional development.
Another key concept kids will learn is philanthropy --How philanthropy is learned:
The process of acquiring the value of philanthropy, as with the acquisition of all values, is complex. In 1996, a study by Bentley and Nissan presented, for the first time, a complete review of existing research on how school-age children learn philanthropy. The study identified key factors that lead to altruistic behavior. It concluded that effective learning occurs when a child witnesses a primary caregiver or other influential adult, such as a teacher or a religious or youth organization leader, modeling voluntary behavior that is intended to help others. The learning is strengthened when the adult is knowledgeable about philanthropy and helps the child understand the cause and effect of philanthropic behavior,
describe the benefits of the behavior to others, and respond to others feelings and needs. Finally, learning is greatly enhanced when children are given the opportunity to engage in giving and serving
activities.
Others (Bremner, 1996; Grusec and Kuczynski, 1997;Morsberger, 1997) agree, emphasizing the importance of parents and other adult influencers demonstrating and talking about values and commitment and, by extension, philanthropy. In addition, other factors contribute to the development of a sense of moral responsibility, which may, in turn, lead to philanthropic behavior.
These include a caring neighborhood, participation in religious life, an adult mentor, youth group activity, schools that promote help- ing others, and opportunities for community service (Daloz, 1998;
Search Institute, 1998). We may conclude, then, that the acquisition of the value of philanthropy and its resulting behaviors of giving and serving are the consequences of three primary types of learning:
Many scholars believe that values closely affiliated with philanthropy, such as kindness, compassion, respect, responsibility, and caring, need to be taught both in the home and in schools. Some (Ediger, 1998; Spaide, 1995) think that teaching young people to be charitable and help others helps them achieve self-esteem and a sense of empowerment. Ryan and Bohlin (1998) assert that children who are taught values have the tools to make good and wise choices. These reasons emphasize the teaching of philanthropy as a means to build strong and positive attitudes in young people. Others (Campoy, 1998; Grusec and Kuczynski, 1997; Tyree, 1997) express concern about the disintegration of shared values resulting from the effects of a changing society. They identify several key issues that have a negative impact on children’s values. These include the breakdown of traditional family structures, as -evidenced by divorce, single-parent families, working parents, mobility and the resulting lack of extended family units, and less involvement in church and religious activities. Another factor is the change in societal values, as demonstrated by the increasing acceptance of violence, poverty, and lack of personal responsibility that has negatively affected the transmission of positive values, including philanthropy. In fact, Spaide (1995) compares a past, in which the tradition of charity was transmitted from one generation to the next, to a present, in which more and more children have lost the impulse to be charitable and any sense of their ability to respond to others’ needs. The teaching of philanthropy can be seen as a means to counteract negative influences. A survey by Cone/Roper (2000) found that 92 percent of Americans (mostly ages forty-five to fifty-four) believe that encouraging children to participate in charities helps them become better citizens; 96 percent of Americans believe parents’ charitable giving and volunteering is a good way to teach children about helping others; and 94 percent believe parents play a key role in getting kids involved. However, in spite of those statistics, more than two-thirds of parents say their children are not involved in charitable activities. Parents are not doing what they say should be done.
There are many compelling reasons for teaching philanthropy. One is that philanthropy is a positive value that is important to the health of our communities and society. If the importance of giving and serving is not passed on to future generations by parents, schools, and a variety of community organizations, philanthropy may not survive. Indeed, several authors ( Jeavons, 1994; Payton,
1995) believe the future of society may depend on our ability to make sure our children have the capability for empathy and the inclination toward generosity. They believe the teaching of philanthropy encourages its practice and should be a part of the public or private education of all Americans.
The KSK program is rather simple in nature, yet the results so profound. It is
I have created various promotional banners which you can use, I suggest printing flyers which direct people to your ad, example: http://www.committoyourhealth.org/flier.pdf
The promotional banners are important, as they provide a tracking mechanism for purchased DVDs, I suggest placing banners on your schools web site.
Westfall Foundation will donate 20% of each DVD sold to the originating school’, and 80% will be used for making medical research grants which have the goal of curing neuromuscular diseases.
z
##
Author: Kerry Westfall
Date: 8-27-2010
Phone: (909) 660-3226
Email: kerrywes@westfallfoundation.org
Media Kit: http://westfallfoundation.org/ctyh_media.php
Location: Lake Arrowhead, CA