Over 100,000 Total Miles were Logged by Campers and 56 Children Reached 100 Miles or More, Also Setting a New Record for Miami-Dade Parks
12-year old Sebastian Deoleo, who attends Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit2Play® Summer Camp at Hammocks Community Park, ran a total of 145 miles during the summer as part of the Morning Mile Program, sponsored by AvMed.
(MIAMI, August 16, 2013) – As summer camp comes to a close today, a new Miami-Dade Parks’ summer camp record of running 145 miles was set by 12-year old Sebastian Deoleo at Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit2Play® Summer Camp at Hammocks Community Park where Deoleo has been running every morning as part of the Morning Mile Program, sponsored by AvMed. Another 56 children reached 100 miles or more, and over 100,000 miles were logged overall by Miami-Dade Parks’ summer camp participants this summer, also setting a new Miami-Dade Parks’ record.
Thanks to AvMed’s sponsorship, the Morning Mile, developed by Fitzness International, was expanded this year to all 42 Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit2Play® summer camps where children begin their day with a morning run, jog or walk. Last year, campers logged over 53,000 miles. This year, they are estimated to have run over 100,000 miles. The program is designed to get kids active, fit and poised to carry good exercise habits into adulthood, a perfect addition to Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit-to-Play summer camps program which teaches kids how to live a healthy lifestyle and provides evidence-based physical fitness activities. For every five miles logged, they receive necklace charms to mark their progress and incentivize physical fitness.
“We are grateful to AvMed for their continued support that enabled us to bring the Morning Mile Program to our summer camp experience for the past three years,” said Allison Diego, Director of Business Development, Fundraising and Advocacy for Miami-Dade Parks. “Their support enriched our successful health and wellness program, and allowed us to expand the Morning Mile to all 42 park sites incentivizing and motivating our children to get moving first thing in the morning,” she added.
“We encourage our members to embrace better health and take an active role in managing their health,” said James M. Repp, AvMed Senior Vice President. “It’s nice to see these kids embrace the Morning Mile and reach and exceed their goals. It’s an inspiration for all of us to become more engaged in our health.”
About AvMed:
AvMed has been providing health care coverage to Florida citizens and businesses for over 40 years, serving large and small employers in most major markets around the state. AvMed provides Medicare Advantage products in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and Individual coverage in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. For more information about AvMed, visit www.avmed.org.
About Morning Mile:
Created by Fitzness International, the Morning Mile program provides participating schools or parks with a program guidebook and everything needed to bring the exercise program to their students. The program has been so successful with nearly 150 programs in Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana, Canada and on a US Air Force Base near Tokyo, Japan, that venues around the United States and beyond have applied to participate so they can implement the program as well. A grant from AvMed provided the funding for the Morning Mile starter kits, which give parks the instructions and materials to start the program. To learn more about launching or sponsoring the program, visit www.MorningMile.com.
About The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade
The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities. For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.miamidade.gov/parks_foundation.
About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.
