Close-up photo of a man holding a microphone with a blurred audience in the background

The Empire State Scales New Heights to Serve Up We Can!® Fun

Posted October 5‚ 2010

Josy Delaney travels to events throughout her community with the typical materials: a folder of We Can! handouts, a We Can! display board, and an enthusiastic attitude. However, her most essential, and popular, event item is not so common.

spaghetti serverThe Community Wellness Specialist at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, NY, uses We Can!-branded spaghetti servers to entice and educate event participants on the We Can! program. Additionally, Delaney uses the servers to demonstrate the standard serving size of pasta.

Delaney joined the We Can! cadre of community sites in July 2009, and has since kept busy planning events around We Can!'s three core messages (eating healthy, staying active, and reducing screen time), and promoting We Can! at various other community events and even places in between! From family fitness days, to farmers' markets, the county fair, and even Senior Action Council meetings, Delaney is focused on promoting health and reaching people of all ages.

This past year, Delaney partnered with several community organizations, including the Malone Central School District, the YMCA of Greater Malone, the Cornell Cooperative Extension's Eat Smart NY program, and a local foods program to host two community events that focused on physical activity, nutrition, and overall health.

These events were held at a local high school and the local YMCA in November 2009 and April 2010, respectively, and each attracted more than 200 people.

"I knew the events were a huge success when I saw a six-year-old boy turn to his dad and say 'This was the best day of my entire life,'" said Delaney.

At the events, youth and their parents jumped to their hearts' content in a bounce house, tested their balance in a yoga workshop, showed off their moves in a Zumba® class, and even participated in blood pressure and other health-screening tests. Event attendees also visited the We Can! booth, where Delaney distributed We Can! resources and materials.

Delaney provides We Can! tip sheets and other forms of educational literature, but she also likes to offer prizes to her booth visitors. In addition to her favorite giveaway (the We Can! spaghetti server), Delaney also handed out grocery list notepads imprinted with "Go, Slow, and Whoa" messages, We Can! nylon sports bags, and We Can! badges.

So far, the We Can! events have served the upstate community very well.

Last Updated: May 8, 2012

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