850 campers and staff from around San Diego County enjoyed a day of sports, games, 
dancing and other fun activities at the thirteenth annual “Go Play, Get Fit Youth Day” on Wednesday, July 13th at Tidelands Park in Coronado. The focal point of the event, organized by the Greater San Diego Recreation & Parks Coalition for Health and Wellness (GSDRP), is to create healthier children while highlighting the beauty of Coronado. Children ages 5 to 16, enrolled in summer day camps throughout the County were bussed to Coronado for the event, which ran from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
To help decrease the epidemic rates of childhood obesity in San Diego County, “Go Play, Get Fit Youth Day” educates children about the importance of daily physical activity and proper nutrition, through actual participation. This goal supports both the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (COI) vision of healthy kids and healthy options for all families, and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity action plan to end childhood obesity in a generation. The goal of the action plan is to return to a childhood obesity rate of just 5 percent by 2030—the rate before childhood obesity began to rise in the late 1970s to the current rate of one of every three children being obese.
This event provided an opportunity for children from throughout the county to “play their way to a healthy mind and body” while enjoying a variety of action-packed recreational activities at 20 different stations—ranging from traditional sports activities to Jazzercise, to martial arts, dance and fun nutritional games. Stations included jump rope, Hip Hop Dance and a giant size Heart Smart Board Game. A favorite event station was the “Food Fear Factor Game” where children are “dared” to taste fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers! The day concluded with dancing with the DJ and running, climbing and sliding at numerous inflatable obstacle courses.
In 2004, the Greater San Diego Recreation and Parks Coalition for Health and Wellness, in partnership with California Parks and Recreation Society District 12, was created as a call to action in response to the alarming rise in childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases. The Coalition is comprised of park and recreation professionals representing thirteen cities and the county within the San Diego region.
