SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Marian Regional Medical Center has received a $44,332 grant from the Kohl's Cares Foundation to help fight childhood obesity in the Santa Maria Valley. The money was raised at the Santa Maria Kohl's department story through the purchases of $5 books and plush toys. The grant money will be used to fund the Healthy For Life Wellness Program, which is intended to teach children and families how to make important healthy lifestyle choices. The grant will officially be awarded on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at the Santa Maria Fairpark during the Day Of the Farm Worker community event. For more information, see story below.
Story provided by Jessa Brooks/Dignity Health
Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) and the Kohl's Cares® Program have partnered to decrease childhood obesity throughout the Santa Maria Valley. To combat local childhood obesity, MRMC has recently been awarded a grant for $44,332 from the Kohl's Cares® Program to achieve the goal of improving the health and wellness of local children by offering the Healthy for Life Wellness Program.
The Healthy for Life Wellness Program class opportunities will be announced at the Day of the Farm Worker community event on Sunday, December 9, 2012, at 11:45 a.m. at the Santa Maria Fairpark Convention Center, 937 South Thornburg Street, Santa Maria. At the 11:45 a.m. announcement, representatives from the Kohl's Cares® Program will formally present MRMC with a check for $44,332 in front of the event's 1,500 expected attendees, civic dignitaries and community leaders.
MRMC's Healthy for Life Wellness Program objectives are to teach children and families how to make healthy lifestyle choices, how to make healthy food choices and how to increase physical activity. The Healthy for Life Wellness Program will begin in January of 2013 and is a year-round nutrition education and physical activity program offered at community centers and afterschool centers in the Santa Maria and Guadalupe areas.
The $44,332 grant was awarded to MRMC from the Kohl's Department Store, through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program and all funds have been collected from Kohl's stores located in the Santa Maria area. The Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program initiative allows the department store to sell $5 books and plush toys and 100 percent of net profit benefits children's health and education programs nationwide, including hospital partnerships like this one.
