May 5, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Young Professionals Board of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is going "all in" Friday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. at their Casino Royale, hoping to "bump" funding for the center's Healthy Happy Kids Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to keep obesity from getting the "casino advantage" over Alabama's children.
The event, at WorkPlay in Birmingham, is open to the public and tickets are $50. There will be free wine and beer, celebrity dealers (including Birmingham Mayor William Bell, television anchors Bettina Boateng from NBC-13, Sherri Jackson from CBS-42 and Yenu Wodajo from ABC 33/40, Mary K from 95.7 Jamz and Chris Davis from the new online show View of the City), live entertainment and great door prizes and a silent auction. For tickets, visit www.medicine.uab.edu/casinoroyale, call 205-975-5659 or email samika@uab.edu.
Healthy Happy Kids is a free, hands-on, six-session curriculum targeting underserved elementary school children attending after-school programs in inner city schools. It is designed to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity. The children learn theoretical lessons on the food pyramid and calorie balance, as well as practical lessons on hands-on preparation of healthy foods. There also are interactive lessons on the importance of daily physical activity, and the kids learn easy and fun games that promote physical activity. Plans are to implement the program in after-school care programs city- and statewide as funding becomes available.
"In the United States, obesity occurs at higher rates in racial and ethnic minority populations. Also, cultural factors influence dietary and exercise behaviors, and research has shown these play a major role in the development of excess weight in minority groups," said UAB MHRC Director Mona Fouad, M.D. "We targeted these groups of children for this program in an effort to help them learn early how to lead a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise."
The MHRC Young Professionals Board, launched in 2008, is a group of young professionals age 25 to 40 who represent diverse professions and ethnicities. The board's signature fundraising event supports the Health Happy Kids community outreach and education program.
About the UAB MHRC
The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is a comprehensive educational, research and community outreach center focused on eliminating the health disparities of racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations.