Let’s Move Marianas Expo caps Childhood Obesity Awareness

The Let’s Move Marianas campaign literally kicked off last Saturday at the Oleai Sports Complex to finalize the CNMI’s commemoration of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Let’s Move Marianas Campaign chair Amber Mendiola expressed her gratitude for those who made the expo such a success.

“I am very grateful that we have various agencies here. For physical activity, we have the Mariana Islands Basketball Federation, the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association, Saipan Soccer School, and other various agencies to promote health and wellness,” said Mendiola.

During the expo children starting at the age of 4 were accompanied by their parents in various physical activities that included soccer, volleyball, basketball, and an obstacle course, which is then rewarded with a stamp for incentives.

“They go around to all of the booths, do the activities—parents must be involved with the events too, and then they get a passport stamped for prizes. We provide water and fruits throughout the time, and at the end of the event they claim a physical activity incentive,” said Mendiola.

She said there was a special feeling looking at how the parents interacted with their children through sports. “We’ve usually given out hula hoops and stuff, and it’s all to encourage not just the kids but also the parents to work with them. It’s really fun to see the parents playing with the kids as well.”

Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther Muña, who dropped by the event to support the staff, was impressed with the outcome.

“I’m actually very pleased with the turnout. I came here to offer support to the staff, to let them know that this is something that I really support. This is something that even us at work are trying to do as well, trying to get some exercise,” she said.

Muña also relates to how this is a beneficial for the parent-child bonding. “We’ve been doing this annually, and it’s basically getting activities for the kids, the schoolchildren, and even the parents to get some exercise along the way. It’s fun, and it’s a good way to enjoy the Saturday,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for everybody to just exercise.”

The Let’s Move Marianas Expo started back in 2010, and has been a hit since then. The goal of the expo is for kids and parents to be active for a day and spend some quality time with one another.