St. Michael’s School And Edison Intermediate Tie For 1st Place In Unitedhealthcare Health Bee At The Westfield Area YMCA

As part of the 7th Grade Initiative, the Westfield Area YMCA hosted its 8th Annual UnitedHealthcare Health Bee on Tuesday, April 4th at the Robert and Virginia Bauer Family Branch. The Health Bee is a Jeopardy-style competition designed to get seventh grade students excited about health, fitness and nutrition. Participants from seven schools competed as teams from Edison Intermediate School in Westfield, Roosevelt Intermediate School in Westfield, Hillside Avenue School in Cranford, Orange Avenue School in Cranford, St. Michael’s School in Cranford, Lincoln School in Garwood and Deerfield School in Mountainside.

Seventh-grade teams from both St. Michael’s School and Edison Intermediate School won 1st Place, earning both schools a Grand Prize of $1,000 for its health and wellness programs. UnitedHealthcare also awarded Roosevelt Intermediate School with a $250 prize for the School Spirit Award. Ali Caldwell, a top-12 finalist on season 11 of NBC’s “The Voice” and a New Jersey native, moderated.

“Pre-teens are at a critical juncture in their development when they begin to make their own choices about how often to exercise and what to feed their bodies,” stated John Verga. “The UnitedHealthcare Health Bee educates students about their health in a way that’s fun and engaging. By helping kids understand how their choices affect the way their body works and feels, we help set them on a healthy path to adulthood.”

“The UnitedHealthcare Health Bee lets students celebrate their knowledge of health and wellness and gives them a head start on the path toward healthy living into adulthood,” said Amanda Aguirre, Y Director of Physical Programs. “Linking the UnitedHealthcare Health Bee competition to the 7th Grade Initiative adds a collaborative component to the program, which fosters greater participation and team-building skills among the students.”

The evening’s judges were John Verga, Vice President of UnitedHealthcare of NJ; Mark Elsasser, CEO of the Westfield Area YMCA and Greg Hatzisavvas, Senior Director Member and Wellness Engagement. Mountainside Councilwoman, Wendy Caccamo and Westfield Mayor, Andy Skibitsky welcomed everyone to the event.

The Westfield Area YMCA’s 7th Grade Initiative aims to help pre-teens build healthy habits at a critical time in their development. Each year, seventh grade students in the Westfield Area YMCA’s service area of Cranford, Garwood, Mountainside and Westfield are invited to participate in the program. Participants enjoy a free YMCA membership that gives them access to the pool, gym, fitness equipment and other programs that benefit healthy living. Contact Amanda Aguirre at aaguirre@westfieldynj.org or call 908-233-2700, x258 to learn more about the program and registration.

Picture here: The teams are anxiously awaiting their next question in the UnitedHealthcare Health Bee.