A snowy day in Kearney, Nebraska, did not stop the Good Samaritan Hospital from hosting their Family Fun Day event this past Saturday, March 23. Held at the Kearney Family YMCA, the day’s goal was to share health and wellness information with the community through enjoyable family activities.
To help promote colorectal cancer screening awareness, attendees received free t-shirts featuring the funny slogan “Get Your Rear in Gear!”. Families were encouraged to do a 1K walk or run on the upstairs track before heading down to enjoy the activities.
Serving as a main attraction, community members of all ages took their first walk through the Prevent Cancer Super Colon and learned about the importance of colorectal cancer screening and prevention. Other fun activities included:
- Complimentary water bottles, bananas and granola bars for the public to enjoy as they walked around the gym
Family Fun Day volunteers pose in front of the Prevent Cancer Super Colon at the Kearney YMCA.
- An educational booth run by a nutritionist from Good Samaritan Hospital about healthy eating, including helpful tips for getting enough fruit, vegetables and protein into daily meals
- Kid friendly activities such as an inflatable obstacle course, a trail mix station and a fruit smoothie station
- A prize table where a few lucky community members won drawings for bikes, iPods and gift certificates.
Good Samaritan Hospital won the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2012 Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives National Challenge. Out of 19 applicants, they made it to the top three by recruiting nearly 300 online votes for their community project. As a winner of the National Challenge, they received a $5,000 grant and a Prevent Cancer Super Colon exhibit stop.
The state of Nebraska has the second highest incidence rate in the U.S. for colorectal cancer in residents 50 and over. It also has one of the lowest colorectal cancer screening rates in the country*, making programs on the prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer a vital need for the community. The Prevent Cancer Foundation was proud to partner with Good Samaritan Hospital for their Family Fun Day–a step in the right direction in engaging the Kearney community on healthy living, wellness and colorectal cancer screening.
Learn more about the Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives National Challenge & vote for your favorite colorectal cancer prevention & screening community project by visiting http://screeningsaves.org/
*National Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Profiles, 2013
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