BeFit Delivers Healthy Message To Students
Bert Faibish
Ticats.ca
One doesn’t usually envision 320 pound linemen as advocates of broccoli and cauliflower, but that’s exactly what Hamilton Tiger-Cats left guard, Peter Dyakowski was promoting as he stood in front of a couple hundred elementary school children.
His visit was just one of many as the Tiger-Cats and Hamilton District and Catholic School Boards partner to promote messages of active living and healthy diet to elementary schools across the city with the BeFit program.
“It’s fantastic that we’ve actually created something from ground zero, built it up, and the response has exceeded our expectations,” said Mark Bowden, Vice-President of Community Affairs for the Ticats.
“The demand for this program to go to schools has been phenomenal,” he added.
While the kids often hear the same message, it means a lot coming from people they see on TV and look up to.
“Having the Ticats speak to the kids, it’s gotten their attention,” said Bhairavi Kumar, a program support worker for Hamilton. “With people like the Ticats being there, it adds more value to the program,” she added.
Having high-profile guest speakers allows the schools to reinforce a message they try to send on a regular basis.
“You saw the kids and how excited they were, they were engaged,” said Jerry Capsi, Principal at Regina Mundi Catholic Elementary School. “They got the message and they understood the message.”
Thanks to the assistance of program sponsors Marchese Health Care, Ticketmaster and Hamilton Partners in Nutrition, the Ticats will visit 29 schools in the Hamilton area, but hope to expand that number to 100 by next year. Not only do the schools enjoy having the assistance from the program, the players enjoy spreading the message and interacting with their young fans.
“We’re just one more source with this message, hopefully with some credibility because we’re professional athletes,” said Dyakowski.
“A lot of the kids look up to us and they’re excited to have Ticats come talk to them, so if we can encourage them to finish their vegetables or join a sports team, then it’s a great and worthwhile thing to do,” he said.
