AvMed and Miami-Dade Parks kick start a summer of play with a mile a day
(MIAMI, June 19, 2015) – This summer, children enrolled at 32 Miami-Dade Parks’ summer camps will take strides towards a healthy lifestyle by walking, running or jogging one mile a day by participating in the Morning Mile®, sponsored by AvMed.
To encourage students and showcase the benefits of walking/running at the start of the day, five Miami-Dade County Commissioners, as well as AvMed and Miami-Dade Parks representatives, will join campers in a morning “kickoff fun-run” at five district parks. Locations and times of the fun-runs are:
- June 23, 2015, 8:30 a.m., at Arcola Lakes Park, 1301 NW 83 Street, Miami, with Chairman Jean Monestime
- June 25, 2015, 8:30 a.m., at South Dade Park, 28151 SW 164 Avenue, Miami, with Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava
- June 26, 2015, 8:30 a.m., at Hammocks Community Park, 9885 Hammocks Boulevard, Miami, with Commissioner Juan C. Zapata and Fitz Koehler, founder of Morning Mile
- June 29, 2015, 8:30 a.m., at Ruben Dario Park, 9825 West Flagler Street, Miami, with Commissioner Javier D. Souto
- July 6, 2015, 8:30 a.m., at North Trail Park, 780 NW 127 Avenue, Miami, with Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz
“The Morning Mile at Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit2Play™ summer camps embodies such an important concept,” said AvMed Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer James M. Repp. Wellness and exercise lead to healthier lives and, for the fifth year in a row, we’re proud to support a program that starts each morning with a mile’s worth of steps in the right direction.”
“I want to thank AvMed for their commitment to the health and wellness of Miami-Dade County residents and for sponsoring programs such as the Morning Mile to help keep our kids in good health,” said Chairman Monestime.
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’ Fit2Play™ summer camps program which teaches kids how to live a healthy lifestyle and provides evidence-based physical fitness activities. For every five miles logged, the children receive necklace charms to mark their progress and incentivize physical fitness. AvMed’s sponsorship includes the Morning Mile starter kits, providing recreation specialists with the instructions and materials to implement the program at 32 Fit2Play™ camp sites. AvMed continues to be the nation’s leading sponsor of The Morning Mile, which began in Florida but has now expanded to nearly 200 sites across eight states, in addition to Canada and a U.S. Air Force Base near Tokyo, Japan.
“Thanks to AvMed, we’re continuing to impact children with the life-changing experiences of The Morning Mile,” said Morning Mile Founder Fitz Koehler. “I’m confident that each step they take with us brightens their future exponentially.”
“We’re grateful to AvMed for the continued partnership and shared commitment to provide affordable recreational programming for people of all ages to get or remain fit and healthy at Miami-Dade County Parks,” said Jack Kardys, Director of Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. “Parks are a community’s first choice for accessible and affordable fitness, sports, and recreational opportunities.”
Miami-Dade Parks is a world-class parks system supported by the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade and focused on placemaking, health and fitness, and conservation and stewardship.
For more information visit us online.
About Miami-Dade Parks: http://www.miami-dade.gov/parks/about-parks.asp.
About the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade: http://www.miamidade.gov/parks_foundation/about-us.asp.
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