SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 30, 2013) – More than 130 Oakland and Richmond kids participating in various summer programs in underserved areas in the East Bay visited America’s Cup for a full day of healthy eating and active living activities, while getting an introduction to maritime education.
Kaiser Permanente sponsored and hosted the second Youth Day events at America’s Cup as part of its commitment to prevention and community health.
Kaiser Permanente is the Official Medical Services and Health Care Partner for the America's Cup in San Francisco. It has brought its medical expertise to other community events, such as the California International Marathon in Sacramento and the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco.
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“Anytime you have an organization like Kaiser Permanente partner with community groups, the obvious take away is the important message of healthy living,” said Sevankelee Boult, summer camp counselor at the Oakland YMCA. Nineteen kids, ages 8 to 10, came to Youth Day from the Oakland Y.
“For the kids, there couldn’t be a more important message today,” she said.
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There were also children from Boys & Girls Clubs of El Sobrante, the Hilltop Richmond YMCA, the YMCA of the East Bay in Richmond and Oakland, and the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Charter School.
Dr. Vivian Reyes, Kaiser Permanente emergency room physician and one of the clinical leads at the clinics staffed by Kaiser Permanente physicians and nurses, said the event is an opportunity to showcase total health.
“The America’s Cup has a commitment to community and sustainability efforts, and we welcome the opportunity to bring some of our local partnerships and ongoing community-service initiatives to those efforts,” said Reyes. “We’ve worked with our community partners to identify youth who could most benefit from this experience—and then worked on providing fun, health-focused, and culturally diverse events that these youth will remember for years to come.”
Kaiser Permanente partnered with Fresh Approach, Youth UpRising and Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre, and Innovation Center.
During the activity-packed event held at the America’s Pavilion on Pier 27/29 kids ate a sail boat-shaped snack, made with a half a green/red pepper stuffed with hummus, a mast of carrot stick, and a sail of lettuce.
Kids took turns trying out the magic of pedal power, pedaling a bicycle that generated electricity for the loud speakers.
After lunch, a real sailor, a First Mate from the San Francisco Maritime Museum introduced kids to the nautical life. Then later in the afternoon kids burned calories to hip hop and a short relay course.
“It’s really fun to be outside,” said the 8-year-old Naya Charles Sanders, a third grader from St. John’s Elementary School in El Sobrante. She was one of 30 kids from the Boys & Girls clubs of El Sobrante.
“Most of the time when we play, we’re inside. I like it we’re here,” she said, surveying the expansive outdoor pavilion.
Velette Mouton, teen center director at Boys & Girls Club El Sobrante, said the Kaiser Permanente-sponsored Youth Day at America’s Cup was an opportunity to introduce the kids from Pinole, Hercules and Richmond to new environments and experiences like sailing.
“It’s good to get them out of their regular environment,” Mouton said. “You know they’ll remember all this today. And I hope the kids take away knowledge about healthy eating and fitness.”