On April 21, the Warriors and Kaiser Permanente hosted 60 students from Playworks partner school Manzanita Elementary School in Oakland for the Get Fit Cook & Play event. Warriors Hypeman Franco Finn welcomed 50 students and excited them for an afternoon of learning how to make healthy and delicious foods and brush up on their basketball skills.
Finn introduced Cindy Cosio, Kaiser Permanente Senior Health Educator, to discuss the importance physical activity and healthy eating with the students. “At Kaiser Permanente, our mission of total health really embodies what is shown here today,” said Cosio, “that includes learning how to cook healthy meals and also being physically active.”
Finn asked Warriors Ambassador Adonal Foyle to lead the students through the Get Fit pledge, which affirms their commitment to healthy eating choices and exercising for 50 minutes every day. Adonal joined students in a basketball clinic and cooking demonstration to provide them with the tools to practice healthy living daily.
Students participated in a basketball clinic focused on passing and shooting skills. Warriors community partner, 18 Reasons, provided students with a nutrition lesson about whole grains and a cooking demonstration where students made and ate whole wheat sunflower butter pita pockets and fresh fruit skewers. “Today we were able to teach them about nutrition and do a cooking demo with them and get them excited about healthy food,” said Allison Eckert, Program Manager, 18 Reasons. “We hope that they’ll carry that forward in their lives and bring that to their families as well.” All students who participated received a backpack filled with health-oriented supplies and snacks, courtesy of Kaiser Permanente.