During this summer’s fifth annual Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Kids ‘N Kicks Summer Walking Program, kids and their families are invited to travel Fairlane Town Center to locate “exciting places in Michigan.” New this year,Kids ‘N Kicks will provide participants with Summer Walking Passports that feature pictures of popular destinations throughout the metro Detroit area, as well as the distances it would take to travel to them from the center. This free program runs June 7 through Aug. 16 and is open to all area families.
Rain or shine, kids can fill in their passports as they travel throughout Fairlane, acquiring stickers to complete them. Every week there will be a picture of each location hidden throughout the center that matches their passport. When a walker spots a picture, they can confirm it with customer service and receive a sticker for their Walking Passport.
At the end of each Kids ‘N Kicks visit, participants record the distance walked in their walking logs and take it to the Customer Service desk for a completion stamp. Participants will receive a special treat each visit, a milestone prize for every five visits and a prize for completing their passports.
Participants can register at the Customer Service desk, where they will receive a start-up membership kit to keep track of how far they walk during the summer. The membership kit includes a walking log, Fairlane Town Center map with walking route calculations, a Summer Walking Passport, Saturday Weekend Wake-Up information, a membership folder, health information from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and an orange neck tote to hold the walking log and center map that participants are encouraged to bring with them each time they visit.
More than 100 children and their families tracked their summer walking at Fairlane Town Center in the program’s first year. That total climbed to more than 900 participants last year. Jessica Stark, the top walker for the 2012 program, walked 210 miles, along with other top walkers Jackelyn and Nathalia Toral, Breanna Stark, and Zen, Dre and Kai Nelson. The overall total of all 2012 participants came to nearly 3,000 miles, almost doubling the previous year.
“We are proud to again sponsor Kids ‘N Kicks, a program that helps kids and their families participate in physical activity during the summer months,” said Bridget G. Hurd, director, Community Responsibility, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “The Summer Walking Passport that the participating children will receive is an exciting and fun way to encourage walking throughout the mall and also helps them learn about popular destinations in our community.
“We’re excited to have the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Kids ‘N Kicks Summer Walking Program at Fairlane Town Center return for a fifth year,” said Fairlane Town Center General Manager, Catherine O’Malley. “The program continues to grow in popularity throughout our community. Every child who takes part in Kids ‘N Kicks will get to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and have some fun while they’re at it.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Kids ‘N Kicks Summer Walking Program at Fairlane Town Center includes four special Saturday Weekend Wake-Up events in conjunction with the program. Space is limited and reservations must be made in advance by calling 313-593-3546 or sending an email to jkincaid@taubman.com.
Sat., July 13 at 11 a.m. in Center Court — Zumba. A Zumba fitness instructor will lead children in a fun, easy-to-follow, dance-fitness program. Comfortable clothing and sneakers are suggested. Parents and guardians are encouraged to participate. Reservations must be made by July 9.
Sat., July 27 at 11 a.m. in Center Court — Yoga Party. A Belightful Yoga instructor will lead children in a fun, easy-to-follow, yoga program. Comfortable clothing is suggested. Reservations must be made by July 23.
Sat., Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. in Center Court — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan good health activity presentation. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will lead children in fun exercises and discuss healthy food options. The presenters also will talk about urban agriculture and give the children hands-on instruction on growing nutritious foods that can be taken from the garden to the table. All kid participants will receive an environmentally-friendly gift for attending. Reservations must be made by Aug. 6.
The Kids ‘N Kicks summer program will conclude Aug. 16, with an end-of-summer recognition ceremony for all participants, including a healthy lunch, award certificates and goody
bags. Reservations must be made by Aug. 13 to attend.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Kids ‘N Kicks Summer Walking Program at Fairlane Town Center participants can walk with their family at the center located at 18900 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn, during the following hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy!
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