The Gateway Family YMCA Teams Up with NJ YMCAS to Kickoff Healthy U

The Gateway Family YMCA today celebrated its seventh year participating in the Healthy U program with its annual kick-off event in youth programs, including before/after school care sites in Eastern Union County and Northern Middlesex County, child care and preschool. The yearly kickoff event will continue throughout the week of October 19th. According to Krystal R. Canady, CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA, “Healthy U is an important part of our curriculum and we are dedicated to promoting healthy behavior changes to combat childhood obesity.”

Healthy U is a collaborative partnership between the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey with the goal of combating childhood obesity through nutrition education, physical education and family involvement. The program is implemented at YMCA sites across the state.

Healthy U was created in 2008 as collaboration between the Foundation and the YMCA State Alliance to help kids and their families better understand proper nutrition and the health benefits of staying physically active.

• Healthy U, impacts more than 46,000 children, ages 3 to 13, at over 500 YMCA and elementary school sites statewide.
• The Healthy U program impacts children in a preschool setting, after-school program and through in-school curriculum.
• Healthy U uses the evidenced-based and award-winning CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum, proven to prevent childhood obesity.
• The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey has invested nearly $5 million in Healthy U and recently committed an additional $1.25 million for program support through the next four years.
• The next phase of Healthy U will impact over 70,000 children ages 3-13 plus their family members through 2019.

The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. According to Melynda Mileski, Chief Operating Officer; “Healthy U is just one more way The Gateway Family YMCA makes a positive impact on youth and families. It promotes physical activity and good nutrition while showing kids that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun.”

For more information about #HealthyU and The Gateway Family YMCA, please visit www.tgfymca.org

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