One stand out is 11-year old Daniil McDonald who set a new Miami-Dade Parks' record of running 115 miles.  In addition, of the 1,894 summer campers who participated, 21 of them were part of the Miami-Dade Parks' Disability Services program walking/running a total of 436 miles.  Two sibling summer camp participants, Moises and Chelsea Sanchez, lost a combined 75 pounds, thanks to participating in both last year's and this year's Fit-to-Play summer camp and the Morning Mile program, which incorporated into their daily routine, a habit of walking or running daily.

Developed by Fitzness International in Gainesville, FL, the Morning Mile program is designed to get kids active, fit and poised to carry good exercise habits into adulthood, a perfect addition to Miami-Dade Parks' Fit-to-Play summer camps program which teaches kids how to live a healthy lifestyle and provides evidence-based physical fitness activities.  For every five miles logged, they receive necklace charms to mark their progress and incentivize physical fitness.

"We are grateful to AvMed Health Plans for their continued support that enabled us to bring the Morning Mile Program to our summer camp experience for the past two years," said Allison Diego, Director of Business Development, Fundraising and Advocacy for Miami-Dade Parks.  "Their support enriched our successful health and wellness program, and allowed us to expand the Morning Mile to 28 park sites incentivizing and motivating our children to get moving first thing in the morning," she added.

"We always emphasize workplace wellness with our employer groups," said James M. Repp, AvMed Senior Vice President.  "But we realize healthy habits should be learned at an early age.  With the high rate of childhood obesity, we are thrilled the Morning Mile has made a measurable difference in the lives of hundreds of Miami-Dade children."

The Morning Mile program provides participating schools or parks with a program guidebook and everything needed to bring the exercise program to their students.  The program has been so successful with nearly 100 programs in Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana, and on a US Air Force Base near Tokyo, Japan, that venues around the United States and beyond have applied to participate so they can implement the program as well.  A grant from AvMed provided the funding for the Morning Mile starter kits, which give parks the instructions and materials to start the program. To learn more about the program, visit Morning Mile.

About AvMed Health Plans:
AvMed has been providing health care coverage to Florida citizens and businesses for over 40 years, serving large and small employers in most major markets around the state. AvMed provides Medicare Advantage products in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and Individual coverage in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. For more information visit AvMed.

About The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade
The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that supports the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's effort to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information, visit Parks Foundation.