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Latino kids need safe, easy-to-get-to places to play.
That’s why Salud America! is presenting six new #SaludHeroes who helped give Latino kids new and improved places to run, jump, play and bike!
#SaludHeroes of Active Spaces are:
- Run, Chicago, Run. Alicia Gonzalez, a big-hearted Latina, wanted to get Latino kids active—so she got more than 13,000 kids moving as part of Chicago Run.
- Moms Heart Parks. Irma Rivera and other moms, sick of having no safe places for their kids to play, helped land the first public park and community center in San Ana, Calif.
- Stickball in NYC. Two Latinos worked together to fight obesity and preserve the old-school sport of stickball among youth in New York City.
- Into the Woods (on a Safe Trail). Activists pushed for a hike-and-bike nature trail to connect the community to parks, schools, and key areas in Kansas.
- A Corridor to Health. Nonprofit Latino Health Access had a unique idea to motivate physical activity among residents: a wellness corridor through downtown Santa Ana, Calif.
- Walk at School. Teens took action against obesity and pushed for an outdoor fitness trail at their predominantly Latino school in Kansas City, Kan.
The #SaludHeroes with the most votes will be announced in an email and a social media messages from Salud America! by April 8, 2015.
To vote, enter the random drawing, and see contest rules, go here.
Salud America! is a Latino childhood obesity network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Salud America! runs a periodic voting contest for its stories of Salud Heroes, people who have made healthy changes in their town. Contest voters are entered into a random drawing for a prize, and winning Salud Heroes get a social media and e-shout-out.
Explore More:
Maternal & Child HealthBy The Numbers
20.7
percent
of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)
