Peck School to start fitness program

Date: 11/16/2010

Nov. 17, 2010

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

HOLYOKE -- If successful, organizers hope a new pilot program addressing fitness and nutrition at the William R. Peck School will be adopted by other schools in the city.

"Empower Holyoke: Eat Healthy, Play Hard!" will be introduced at a meeting from 8 a.m. to noon at the Peck school on Nov. 19. The kick-off event, a nutrition and fitness fair, is open to the public.

Sarah Vazquez, a senior at Mount Holyoke College and the projects' coordinator, explained to Reminder Publications that she has been working for several years as a mentor and tutor at the school and the new program was a result of student-led audit at the school last year.

The fitness and nutrition fair is the first phase of the program and the second will be a series of after-school workshops with speakers on a variety of subjects.

Vazquez said a monthly bilingual nutrition and fitness newsletter and a cookbook with healthy recipes from the community are also being considered.

The program will be ongoing through the end of the school year, she said.

Organizations that are involved in the new program include the Food and Fitness Policy Council of Holyoke, Holyoke Public School Food services and the Greater Holyoke YMCA. The program will attract volunteers from Mount Holyoke College, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Elms College.

Vazquez said the program was possible at the Peck School because of the parental organization the school has.