Nearly 4,700 BC kids are more active, making healthier choices thanks to Be Active Every Day

Congratulations to the 4,700 students in BC for completing the third annual Be Active Every Day challenge from November 3 – 28! Last month, Doctors partnered with their local schools and challenged kids to be active at least one hour every day in response to the recent findings from the Canadian Health Measures Survey that only seven percent of 5 – 11 year olds do so. In the final week doctors returned to the schools to celebrate the end of the challenge and hand out to students certificates of completion and prizes. In all, 39 schools in 34 communities participated including Burnaby, Campbell River, Kelowna, Prince George, Victoria and Vancouver.

Certificates were signed by Be Active Every Day ambassadors and Canadian National Soccer Team stars, Brittany Baxter and Emily Zurrer, who motivated kids to become soccer stars, like them, by the end of the Challeenge. A series of videos and an activity booklet had Emily and Brittany teach soccer tips and encourage kids to set activity goals and follow the 5-2-1-0 steps every day to remain heathy (5 fruits and veggies,  2 hours of screen time, 1 hour of activity, and zero sugar-sweetened beverages).  

Canadian National Soccer Team balls and jerseys were handed out to nine students in schools from Burnaby, Comox, Cranbrook, Mackenzie, Nanaimo, Vancouver and Victoria for winning the photo contest showing them participating in their favourite activity.  

“Be Active Every Day is a great example of doctors caring about the health of their communities,” said Dr Bill Cavers, President of Doctors of BC who also hosted the Challenge at Sir James Douglas Elementary in Victoria. “Kids today are spending more time sitting and less time being active than ever before, which can result in obesity and chronic health conditions as they age. BC doctors want to reverse this trend by teaching kids simple, healthy choices that lead to lifelong healthy habits.”

Contest photos of students practicing their favourite activity can be found in our photo gallery.