On Saturday, April 27, the Mattapoisett YMCA is holding Healthy Kids Day, a free community event to inspire kids to keep their minds and bodies active. Healthy Kids Day is a key part of the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families. The event will ignite children’s imaginations with the inflatable gaga pit, camp tours, and more. The staff will be available to answer questions about Camp Massasoit and motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home throughout the summer months.

Healthy Kids Day, sponsored by the Howard Johnsons by Wyndham hotel brand and celebrated at over 1,500 Ys across the country by over one million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long.  When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days. Instead, the Y wants families to focus on helping children imagine what they can accomplish over the summer.

“When a child is healthy, happy, and supported they can make great things happen,” said Maxine Hebert, Assistant Education Director for YMCA Southcoast. “We believe in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child’s development is never on vacation and Healthy Kids Day is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body throughout the summer.”

“All of us at Howard Johnson are incredibly proud to be supporting Healthy Kids Day, inspiring families to get active, spend quality time together and create smiles that last a lifetime,” said Clem Bence, Howard Johnson brand leader and vice president of operations. “Giving back to the communities where our hotels operate is fundamental to our values as a brand and we couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with local Ys across the country on such a meaningful initiative.”

Howard Johnson has been a proud national partner of the Y for the past two years and three out of every four Howard Johnson hotels are located within just 10 miles of a local Y. In addition to supporting Healthy Kids Day, the brand offers all Y members up to 20% off stays at participating hotels across the country, with 10% of every booking benefiting the Y nationally.

The Mattapoisett YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day takes place at 38 Reservation Road from noon to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Executive Director Stephanie Winterson at 508-758-4203 x101 or visit the Facebook event page.