03/29/2024
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Spring is here and Summer is coming next. Plans are underway to keep Bladen County children busy this summer.

The Parks and Recreation Director, Grant Pait and Health Educator Marianne Valentiner presented a new program to the county commissioners. The two county employees explained their healthy activities planned for children in Bladen County this summer. Healthy Bladen Kids is the name of the new program proposed to the commissioners.

Valentiner said they are seeing pre-diabetes in children now. One in four children in North Carolina don’t know where their next meal is coming from according to a report Valentiner gave the commissioners.

The goal of the new program is to teach children more about physical activity and nutrition. Pait and Valentiner said the program would target locations that do not currently have parks. Valentiner said they thought summer would be a good time to pilot the program.
The locations they proposed were Clarkton School of Discovery, East Arcadia School, Bladenboro Middle School and Tar Heel Middle School. Valentiner said in this model, children will be receiving a curriculum on nutrition education and getting physical activity.

Pait said of the physical activities being considered include basketball, kick ball, hula-hoop, and baseball.

Valentiner said the school system offers a summer feeding program and they may be able to coordinate with possible meal delivery to the sites for the children to receive a meal. The program would target children from ages 6 to 15 years old.

Both Pait and Valentiner said they anticipate the program will cost, $6,500. Pait said this was to pay for part-time positions to help with monitoring the gyms.
Commissioner Arthur Bullock asked if education on teamwork, respect, womanhood, and manhood  would be provided.
Valentiner said they could add that education in the program.
Commissioner Ashley Trivette explained her experience with operating summer camps with her business.
Commissioner Chairman Charles Ray Paterson said, “I think you need to add Elizabethtown and it’s not on there.”

Valentiner explained they were trying to think of areas outside of Elizabethtown, but Elizabethtown would be a focus as well.
“Whatever we do, it needs to be the same all over county,” Peterson said. They were also advised to consider how many 4 and 5 year olds they would have in attendance at some locations and to consider activities and programs for them, too.
County Manager, Greg Martin suggested the possibility of considering a cap based on what they think will be feasible for the number of employees. Peterson suggested surveys to be taken because the program is new.

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