Childhood Wellness Campaign is "fortified with optimism"

Club President Akash and
Camper Garrett

The West Bakersfield Optimist Club in California has started up a health and wellness campaign for children and Optimist Clubs. The ideas are simple:

• Get kids outdoors and moving
• Teach children and their families about healthy food alternatives
• Partner with local groups to practice organic gardening and make other healthy lifestyle choices
• Become advocates for health

What a lovely setting for a skit

This summer, the West Bakersfield Optimist Club had a resolution approved   at the Optimist International Convention to adopt a childhood wellness campaign at the international level and the Programs Committee will begin looking at the components for the program this fall.

As an example of some of the activities possible, the West Bakersfield Optimist Club held their first Camp We Can this summer, enjoyed by a host of youths and adult Optimist Club members.

Boat building

Some of their activities were hiking, art projects with natural items, a healthy food skit, boat building with recycled materials, and great opportunities for children and adults to bond. I look forward to watching this program develop and plan to get involved.

Thanks to the leader of the initiative, Dr. TG Thomas for the pictures and for his passion and guidance to move this program forward.

Visit the Childhood Wellness Campaign website.