In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a popular northern B.C. school program is moving online.
Spirit of Healthy Kids (SOHK) is going to be virtual and is set to reach nearly 200 elementary schools to participate and encourage active lives in young kids.
The joint partnership with the Prince George Cougars, Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation and Northern Health, now in its sixth year, expanded in 2020 to include education institutions across the region with ‘tens of thousands of students’ taking part in the initiative.
“The ongoing pandemic has impacted everyone and despite the challenges our team is facing, we felt it was more important than ever to find a way to offer our extremely successful school program this winter,” Cougars’ Vice President of Business Andy Beesley remarked in a news release this morning (Feb. 10) as in a normal year, Cougars players would be going into schools to host assemblies about the program.
“We are deeply concerned about the health and wellness of everyone, but particularly the young children throughout Northern BC, who we feel will benefit from the wisdom, leadership, and healthy messages our players have willingly shared.”
The unprecedented times and the changes made in schools for the health and safety of students and teachers have undoubtedly provided a challenge mentally and emotionally.
The SOHK organizers agree that this year’s event is just as important as ever.
“We are once again delighted on behalf of our donors to be supportive and partner with this program,” adds Judy Neiser, CEO Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
“Now more than ever being able to reach youth throughout the region with solid messaging about kindness and giving back in a way that makes it fun and promotes life-long learning is valuable. Delivering key messages through the Cougars’ players is inspiring and engages children in philanthropy at a whole different level.”
The program offers a $5,000 grant to the northern B.C. school that recorded the highest overall participation rate.
If a school maintains a 50 per cent participation level with SOHK, it’ll be entered to win one of five secondary grants of $1,000 each.
Ways to engage in the 2021 virtual SOHK program are as follows:
- Interested schools can join the program by emailing [email protected], or call 250-596-9963
- The Complete program can be accessed by visiting the SOHK School Program page on the Cougars’ website
- Students will view a video featuring Cougars’ players that has health, wellness, and philanthropic messages, then record their healthy activities in tracking sheets for the next two weeks
- After two weeks, students have to bring their tracking sheet to their school and hand it in to their teacher
- In order for your school to be qualified to win a grant, the deadline to hand in completed tracking sheets is March 16
For more information, you can visit the Prince George Cougars’ website.
