Area youth are encouraged to attend the Superhero Showdown and become a health and fitness hero at the Southern Arkansas University Story Arena from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 8, 2014.
Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Arena. A pre-registration form can also be found on the event’s Facebook page.
The event is being organized by the Enactus business student organization at SAU. It is free and open to the public. Children grades 1-5 are encouraged to participate and each will receive a free T-shirt, superhero mask, and a goody bag with items like a bracelet, fitness coloring books and dark chocolate.
There will also be several prize drawings during the event, including a grand prize of a Kendle Fire for one lucky participant.
The mission of the event is to help conquer childhood obesity, according to senior finance major Grant Dooley of DeQueen, Ark.
“Fitness has always been a part of my life. I helped coach a little league softball team last year and it was sad to see how many obese children there were,” said Dooley. “I want the kids and parents to have the knowledge of what is healthy and what is not. And I want them to realize that you can have fun while exercising.”
Children will get to run through a fitness obstacle course set up to not only get their bodies moving, but also to get their minds thinking about healthy choices. They will traverse a total of eight obstacles, including a marshmallow mountain and Twinkie tunnel. Captain Walgreens will be on hand to battle an unhealthy villain who stole all of the healthy food in Magnolia and replaced it with bad food options.
Dooley said he and fellow Enactus member Jill Bridges presented the project to Walgreens officials and earned a $2,000 grant. The group also secured a highly competitive $1,500 grant from Sams Club. Through various contacts, they are also getting support from Cambell’s and Dr. Pepper Co.
UAMS South is also providing support and will be at the event with a booth to provide information and demonstrations.
Student organizations in the College of Business like Enactus (formerly Sife) and PBL have a well-documented history of success. Trophy cases in the Business Building at SAU are overflowing with accolades from state and national honors. The experiences students have outside the classroom in these types of endeavors are important in building leadership and teamwork skills for SAU Business students.
To find out more about the SAU College of Business, visit the College of Business website.
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- Jill Bridges, right, SAU senior from Magnolia, helps children at the ring toss at the Enactus Walgreens Superhero Showdown.
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- “Captain Calories” is dressed in black and armed with unhealthy snacks as he tries to distract children from healthy living at the SAU Enactus Superhero Showdown.
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- Leighton Daniels, 7, keeps a grip on his balloon as he leaps through one of the seven obstacle courses set up at the Walgreens Superhero Showdown by SAU Enactus.
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- Bradley Street, 6, strikes a superhero pose atop the “marshmallow mountain” Saturday, March 8, 214, at the Southern Arkansas University Enactus Walgreens Superhero Showdown. Enactus, formerly Sife, is a student organization in the SAU College of Business that competes nationally with their programs and initiatives. This idea was developed by Grant Dooley, in costume second from right, who wanted to teach children and parents ways to combat childhood obesity through proper diet and exercise.
