Small Town News

To do anything we have to be healthy

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Editorial

Earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and revolution, budgets out of whack, government shutdowns. The world is aswirl. Of course it always has been and always will be. There are six billion of us on the planet now. All of the problems we have relate to people, and our solutions to the problems will come from people. The good news is that there are always people, groups, institutions and organizations willing to recognize and try to address the imbalances leading to the world's problems.

However, there is a basic truth that we must always keep in mind. None of us can respond to problems or opportunities unless we keep ourselves and our children healthy. Children will do as their parents do, so parents must show the way toward good health. Exercise and nutrition must be stressed over and over again.

On Saturday, April 16, for the fifth year, a coalition of organizations is sponsoring the fifth annual Community Walk event at five Sussex County high schools including Cape Hen-lopen, Sussex Tech, Laurel, Seaford and Woodbridge. The Sussex Child Health Promotion Coalition has teamed with Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Nemours Health and Prevention Services and a number of other private partners to continue this event, which encourages families to get outside in the spring and enjoy the outdoors. The events include walking on the schools' tracks with other people and offering healthy fruit as snacks for participants.

The Cape event will begin with an 830 a.m. registration near the high school stadium and the walk and other activities from 9 a.m. to 10 am The first 100 children to sign up will receive free T-shirts.

The Sussex Child Health Promotion Coalition - through events such as the Community Walk - has taken direct aim at one of the nation's most serious problems, one that has nothing to do directly with war, natural disaster or government upheaval. The larger problem is childhood obesity and early onset of diabetes. The effort is already having a positive impact and will enable us to better meet the certain challenges lying ahead.

Cape Gazette editorials are considered and written by members of the Cape Gazette editorial board which includes Dennis Forney, publisher; Irish Vernon, editor Dave Frederick, sports editor; Laura Ritter, news editor; and Jen Ellingsworth, arts and entertainment editor.





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