Northland News-Gyimah predicts Let’s Move event will do well

Gyimah predicts Let's Move event will do well
By  KEVIN PARKS

~~Let's Move, Columbus, an effort to get families to make physical fitness a part of everyday life, is just around the corner.

Scheduled to be put on at four different venues from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, the fitness-promotion event is being brought to central Ohio by the Global Center for Wellness and Transformation Inc., a ministry of the Columbus All Nations Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Buckeye Community Health Plan is serving as the sponsor for what the Rev. Kwesi Gyimah is planning as an annual event.

The inaugural Let's Move, Columbus, is based on a similar undertaking by a faith group in Indianapolis, but sponsorships for the local effort haven't exactly set the world on fire, conceded Gyimah, a member of the North Side Health Advisory Committee.

"It's a first time and everybody's kind of waiting to see how this goes," he said last week.

It's going to go well and create a foundation for bigger and better Let's Move events for years to come, he predicted.

"I am very confident, with the teams we have across the city, we have a very good indication that this is going to go off well," Gyimah said. "The good news is we don't have anything to compare with in the city, so whatever we do is going to be a success.

"We are confident this is going to be a good foundation for the years ahead. Next year, I know it's going to be a bigger event with even more participation."

Members of the Northland-area advisory panel began planning to bring Let's Move to Columbus in May, and over time convinced their counterparts on the other three compass-point committees to join in.

The Let's Move, Columbus, sites for Sept. 21 will be:

* South High School, 1160 Ann St., sponsored by the South Side Health Advisory Committee.

* YMCA North, 1640 Sandalwood Place, sponsored by the North Side Health Advisory Committee.

* Rhodes Park, 1900 W. Broad St., sponsored by the West Side Health Advisory Committee.

* Neighborhood House, 1000 Atcheson St., sponsored by the Near East Side Health Advisory Committee.

"There will be all sorts of things going on for all ages," North Side Health Advisory Committee co-chairwoman Sandy LaFollette said. "It should be a good time."

Most locations will feature a family obstacle course in order to show parents and children how much fun they can have while doing physical activities, according to Gyimah.

"The whole idea behind Let's Move is to let families know they can exercise together," he added. "Hopefully, these families will begin to do more of these in the communities."

Other activities common to all four venues will be blood pressure screenings, doctors and nurses interacting with attendees, bounce houses for children and nutrition education offerings.

Other than that, Gyimah said the members of each advisory committee are tailoring their own Let's Move, Columbus, events to the interests of the people they serve.

"Each community is going to do it the way that community does it the best," he said. "It's difficult to predict, and that's one of the beauties of Let's Move, Columbus — having it in different parts of the city. What I can tell you is there is a silent competition which is going to be going on as to which health advisory puts on the best Let's Move.

"There is no prize for this, but I think it will bring on some sort of pride in the community that we were able to accomplish this."

More information is available at letsmovecolumbus.org.