Wainwright teens unplug for BGCA Worldwide Day of Play
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - Blake Beal (right), 14, son of Billie and Spc. Mark Beal, 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, holds the limbo stick and Devin Crow, 12, son of Katrina and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Garner, Northern Warfare Training Center, waits in line as Morgan Foy, 12, daughter of Erika and Staff Sgt. Jason Foy, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1-25th SBCT, limbos her way through the multi-activity dance Saturday at Fort Wainwright's Youth Center. The dance was the final activity during the local Boys and Girls Clubs of America Worldwide Day of Play which joined forces with Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" initiative encouraging children to put down their electronic devices, turn off their television sets and go play. Fort Wainwright embraced the worldwide effort to encourage youth and teens to get more active, make healthy food choices and get unplugged for a while. "It's just teaching them healthy habits and reminding them that there are other things to do in life besides electronics," said Megan Brown Fort Wainwright special events coordinator and Youth Services facility director. Youth Center staff incorporated the healthy theme into the day's snacks, too, offering a fruit bowl, vegetables and dip, lettuce wraps and water rather than less healthy snacks that teens often select. Event activities included dodge ball, flag football, racquetball, basketball, relay races and even their own version of Fear Factor, in addition to the multi-activity dance which featured line dancing, a dance contest and the limbo. "It's nice to get kids out from behind the electronics, the games, the PS3s, the Wiis and actually out doing activities," Brown said. "This place has been extremely loud today. There's more excitement in here today because they're actually hanging out together and playing."

Page last updated Thu September 30th, 2010 at 13:13