GREENFIELD — Franklin County’s YMCA is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 30, encouraging families to set children up for a summer of success.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Y’s Hope Street parking lot.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for children and families, a YMCA press release explains. The Y hopes to get more kids moving and learning, creating healthy habits they can continue while school isn’t in session.
“Healthy Kids Day is a fun, free community-wide event to kick off summer and remind us all how important it is for kids to stay active physically and mentally throughout the summer,” Sara Hannon, the Y’s director of communications, said in the release. “This year, we are excited to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County to provide 100 free bikes to area kids.
“When Ericka (Almeida) of BBBS reached out over the winter to see about being a host site to pass out the bikes they receive from another nonprofit, how could we say no?” Hannon continued. “Knowing Healthy Kids Day was taking place in the spring, this was the perfect opportunity to be able to come together for our community.”
Parents and guardians must reserve a time to pick out a bicycle for their child. The bikes are ideal for children ages 3 to 10. There is a mixture of new and used balance bikes, trikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes and scooters. The limit is one per child. The Greenfield Kiwanis Club will also provide free helmets.
“Biking is a great family activity and can help kids improve their overall mental and physical health,” Almeida said in the release. “BBBS is proud to be collaborating with Franklin County’s YMCA and the Greenfield Kiwanis (Club) to get 100 kids outfitted with bikes and helmets.”
Parents and guardians can reserve their child’s time to receive a bike by visiting your-y.org/hkd or by calling the YMCA at 413-773-3646.
Healthy Kids Day will also feature active play and educational activities, such as a bike obstacle course for all kids who are receiving bikes, a bounce house and an aquatic-themed photo booth. According to the release, the YMCA Gymnastics Team will hold a performance along with a food and bake sale fundraiser. There will also be a zumba demonstration, a presentation by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and an opportunity to pet ducks from a local duck sanctuary. Greenfield Police officers will bring Officer Ripon, the department’s newest comfort dog.
“It’s nice to be able to finally bring the community together for an event like this,” Dave Garappolo, director of youth and families at the Y, said in the release. “After two years of pandemic living, to be able to have this event and to be able to bring other local organizations for this day is what our community is all about.”
Locally, Healthy Kids Day is partnering with: Community Action Pioneer Valley, Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, Artspace Community Arts Center, Greenfield Community College, The Brick House Community Resource Center, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Greenfield Police and Fire departments, Just Roots, Greenfield Kiwanis Club, UMass ROTC, Duck World and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County. The Rolling Wave Foundation donated the bikes and the Franklin County Fairgrounds housed them leading up to Healthy Kids Day.
For more information, contact Franklin County’s YMCA at 413-773-3646 or visit your-y.org/hkd.