THE MARCH TO THE PENGUINS

This past Sunday, April 29th, DIVABETIC hosted over 120 participants at our first-ever family fitness program, MARCH TO THE PENGUINS. We co-presented this unique diabetes outreach program, which was developed with the staff from the Hall Family Center for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital, to encourage families affected by diabetes to 'team up' and fit fitness into their busy lifestyles. Families affected by or at risk of diabetes were invited to attend this free program.

After visiting DIVABETIC’s 3 interactive educational stations, 'Good, Better, Best', designed to encourage healthier lifestyle (goals, food and fitness) choices in families in the medical offices of Mount Sinai hospital, our 'penguin' walking teams of 10 stopped by Pedro’s Pedometer Palace to receive their official MARCH TO THE PENGUINS snack packs provided by ANIMAS CORP. (filled with a light lunch, water, pedometer and diabetes information) and then posed for photos with Dr. Rapport, the head of the Peiatric department, and their walk team captains (DIVABETIC volunteers) before leaving the offices. Each team entered Central Park at East 98th Street and then proceeded south on the walking trails of the park and stopped at our 3 designated exercise stations (jumping jacks/stretches, lunges, resistance bands/stretch), along the way hosted by the instructors from the Ultimate Karate studios in Harlem. The walk was approximately 2 miles and took our teams over one hour to complete. All eleven teams met at the pond at 72nd Street where we held a healthy picnic, awarded raffle prizes (including prizes from Pressman Toys, AVON, DIVABETIC and Nickelodeon) and presented a diabetes discussion lead by Joy Pape, RN, CDE before heading directly to the penguin exhibit at the Central Park Zoo. Once we reached the Central Park Zoo families were allowed free entrance to the zoo for remainder of the day.

Our next family oriented outreach program will be SCARY POTTER'S BROOMSTICK BASH on Friday, October 26th in the Main Lobby of Mount Sinai Hospital, followed by the faith-based program, The 3rd ANNUAL DIVABETIC HAT BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS on Friday, November 9th at Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon.