Cannon encourages youth to get moving

Children at Cannon Air Force Base, turned off their TVs and put down their video game controllers for a day, to get out and get active for Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play on Saturday.

Cannon AFB Assistant Director of Youth Activities Laura Kennedy said the day of play is important because of the rising rate of childhood obesity. Kennedy said the day focuses on getting children outdoors and being active, instead of sitting inside doing indoor activities.

“It raises awareness about good health for the kids,” Kennedy said.

This is the second year Cannon has participated in the event, Kennedy said, and this year the turnout for the event was far less than last year due to other events going on at the base, she said.

“Last year we had over 50 kids show up, but this year it’s on a Saturday and there’s other things going on today,” Kennedy said.

Ten-year-old Victoria Gonzalez said her favorite game Saturday was the balloon relay, where kids had to run with a balloon between their knees without dropping it.

“It’s really funny watching them try not to drop it,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said she understands why it’s important to stay active and healthy as a kid, because she said some people lose their active abilities when they get older.

“Most grown-ups can’t run that fast,” she said.

The worldwide day of play has also caught the attention of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Obama joined the Nickelodeon network as it went off the air and offline from noon to 3 p.m., a move to encourage viewers at home to get outside and get active.

Earlier this year, Nickelodeon announced a partnership with the First Lady’s campaign, “Lets Move,” which is geared towards solving the problem of childhood obesity.