The Boys & Girls Club of Stamford hosted some big political names looking to inspire children to lead active, healthy lives Wednesday during their Community Fitness Day. Congressman Jim Himes, Representative William Tong and a host of Coca Cola volunteers came out to the organizations Stillwater Avenue location to spread a message of getting out to play and stay moving.
"The reason this is important is, you all like to get outside and run around and have fun because it's fun, right? But it's also really healthy," Himes told the auditorium full of kids before they went outdoors to play in various games. "If you do it everyday, you'll be healthy, you'll do better in school."
Tong told the children being healthy lets kids be good members of their community and staying active helps them lead healthier lifestyles overall. He also shared his own troubles with keeping his weight under control so they didn't feel so alone in dealing with their own weight issues, and said he's recently dedicated himself to getting in better shape to set a good example for his three young children.
"I also like to get outside and run around and have fun," said Tong. "When I was your age, I struggled a lot, and continue struggling with my weight. I was heavy... Think about how important it is to stay active and stay healthy. It takes a lifetime committed to exercising and being out there with your friends and playing. Everyday, taking as much time as you can to get out in the yard or the street, play some stickball, run around. Let's focus on that today and make sure we're healthy."
Kids took to the fields at Lione Park to play a variety of activities, from tug-of-war to foot races to long jumps. Check out the video above for a peek at the fun.
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