Amazing Food Detective free for kids at UNC Ballroom Greeley

Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre Program partners with Weld County

Amazing Food Detective free for kids June 6, 2009 at UNC Ballroom Greeley

The Health Education Division at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) is partnering with Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program (ETP) to bring The Amazing Food Detective play to Weld County for 5 performances. "The Amazing Food Detective”(AFD) is interactive and educational theatre designed to teach kindergarten through fifth-grade students about making better choices relative to nutrition and physical activity.

Students and their families are invited to the 45-minute performances at the UNC University Center ballroom, 2045 10th Ave, Greeley, on Saturday June 6, 2009 at 11:00 am or 1:00 pm. Admission is free and no tickets are required. All students who attend will receive a free poster that reinforces the nutrition and physical activity messages. Other performances are scheduled with ABC Child Development Centers through their summer programs.

"The Amazing Food Detective" tells a story that is not that uncommon: a young soccer player, Carlos, is too weak to help his team play in a big game after a breakfast of sugar-laden food. A teammate, Angela, comes to his aid by calling for help in solving the mystery about why Carlos is sluggish. With amazing stage presences, out comes the title sleuth, the amazing food detective who gets started by "dusting for fingerprints".

Having determined that the player collapsed because he didn't start his day with a healthy breakfast, the detective teaches the kids a helpful chant: "Follow this rule if you want to be a winner: Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner!" This is only 1 or many bilingual messages that are disseminated throughout the play. The outcome of the soccer game isn’t the message. This is about something much more important: long-term health.

With over 62% of Weld County residents determined to be obese or overweight, WCDPHE has been able to provide the community with nutrition and physical activity programs, events, and awareness through the federal grant Steps to a Healthier Weld County for the past 5 years.

With new grant funding through LiveWell Colorado, the Amazing Food Detective is just one of the ways that WCDPHE continues to promote healthy eating and active living (HEAL) messages that support health education and nutrition programs for children and families.

Curtis Robbins, Program Coordinator for the Kaiser Permanente ETP in Englewood says, “We’re excited to partner with WCDPHE to bring the AFD to Weld County. The Amazing Food Detective has been very successful in the Denver schools for the past 5 years. Our assessments indicate increased knowledge, awareness, and message retention.

Additionally through assessments, we believe that the play’s messages are powerful: 1) eat regular meals 2) eat fruit and veggies 3) be physically active 60 minutes a day 4) be in front of a screen (TV, computer, video game) for less than 2 hours 5) drink more water. The actors really believe in the messages that we're teaching the kids and their theatrics are evidence of this. As simple as it sounds, theatre really CAN be a platform for education and behavior change, especially for kids. We hope that the students of Weld County enjoy the show and learn a few things that will help them live healthier lives.”

For more information call WCDPHE at 970-304-6470 x 2383, or visit the Kaiser Educational Theatre website at http://www.etpcolorado.org/index.php/home.