By Ester Hoeben
For the Salisbury Post
Q. I’ve been seeing signs for Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA when I went for my workout. Can you explain what it is and is it free?
A. Yes, it is a free event! It’s not only free to our members but free for the whole community.
Healthy Kids Day is a wonderful event which focuses on health and exercise for our children and families. It shows them that exercise and movement can be FUN!
It’s set for 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Saleeby-Fisher YMCA in Rockwell across from Nazareth Children’s home.
Food and drinks are available for a nominal. cost and at 10:30 we have a one mile run/walk for our Kids Club participants (the YMCA after school program).
We will have all kinds of demonstrations and classes including a performance by Dance Dimensions, and fun classes like cardio kick box, Zumba, jump rope and Yoga.
All classes are geared toward our kids ó although parents are more than welcome to join in.Smart Start will have a pre-school obstacle course, and there will be inflatables, fingerprinting and McGruff from the Sheriff’s Office, bike safety and drunk driving carts, clowns and face painting, CPR demos, displays by an eye doctor and dental hygienist, the Smoke House and Sparky, a display from Rowan Public Library, a dunking booth and lots of fun activities and games and so much more!
We are so thankful to United Way, Rowan Regional Medical Center, Cheerwine, Athlete’s Foot and Salisbury Rowan Runners who made this wonderful free family event possible. There is no joining fee that day at any of our Rowan County YMCAs.
I am just so happy that this community is really trying to get our kids and families into a healthier lifestyle by all these wonderful free programs and events we all are offering.
I hope you are able to come and join the fun with your children, grand children, nephews, nieces, neighbors, kids you just found … KIDDING!

Ester Hoeben is associate executive director of the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA. Contact her with health and fitness questions at 704-636-0111 or ehoeben@rowanymca.com.