Betz, Sunset to host health and wellness fairs

For families that want a jump start to getting healthier in the new year, the Cheney School District is partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) to host two health and wellness fairs, one at Betz Elementary School, Jan. 12, from 5:30 — 7 p.m., and another at Sunset Elementary School, Jan. 13, from 5:30 — 7 p.m.

This is the second year for the events at both schools. Alise Mnati, program quality director for CIS, said both Betz and Sunset received 21st Century Learning Center grants.

Mnati said the district and CIS decided to create an event to focus on bringing in various organizations to provide information to families and activities to show them ways they can be healthy. The events are a way to compliment the district’s efforts of better health and obesity reduction.

During last year’s fair, the district and CIS worked with Molina Healthcare, Eastern Washington University’s Physical Education Department and other local organizations and provided information and several activities, including teaching kids how to measure the amount of sugar in their drinks and how to read food labels.

There was also a cooking class where families learned how to make salad, spaghetti with whole grain pasta and homemade spaghetti sauce.

“Molina also brought in a bike blender,” Mnati said, referring to a machine where a person uses a bicycle to power a blender. “Kids peddled on the bike and as they were making it go, it was blending the fruit into a smoothie. It was exciting.”

Mnati said the fair at Sunset had about 150 people, though the one at Betz wasn’t as well attended. For this year’s fair, Mnati said they are planning 12 activities, including another cooking class where parents will learn how to make soup and salad. Mnati said the district plans on having cooking classes in January at both Cheney and Westwood middle schools as a way to emphasize healthy eating at home.

“There are different reasons that parents don’t cook healthy food at home,” Mnati said. “Sometimes it’s lack of time or lack of funds. It’s expensive to buy healthy food and even if they buy it, they don’t know how to cook it.”

Mnati said the food used for the cooking classes are the kind parents can purchase cheap at the store or get at a food bank.

Local organizations that will be involved with this year’s fair include Cheney’s police, parks and recreation, and fire departments, Second Harvest Mobile Food Bank, Spokane Community Oriented Policing Effort and the Airway Heights Parks and Recreation Department. United Healthcare will also be sponsoring both events and providing dinner for families.

Mnati added that Sunset Elementary and Cheney Middle School will be hosting a “Strengthening Families Program” in January for both parents and teenagers to attend.

“Parents will learn how to deal with preteens and teenagers,” Mnati said. Teenagers will learn about how to deal with peer pressure and how stress can impact them.”

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].