Free food, fun and fitness

PABLO - Summer is finally here. While a relief for kids, this time of year can provide additional worries for many area parents who still work full time.

Finding a safe and enjoyable place to send your kids doesn't have to be a challenge anymore, thanks to a new program, Field and Home: Making Fitness Fun, held in three locations around Lake County. Paid for through a grant from Salish Kootenai College and the Montana Office of Public Instruction's Summer Food Program, Making Fitness Fun offers parents free supervision and free meals for their school-age children, aged seven to 18, from now until August 27.

Mike Tryon, the Joe McDonald Fitness Center's Assistant Manager, took the program's reigns last year.

"The main purpose is to try to get these kids active throughout the summer when school's not going on," Tryon said. "We try to give them somewhere to go for the whole summer because parents need it, they still work full-time jobs."

Tryon said the program ran last year, too, but this year it is running with the addition of free breakfast and lunch.

"Last year, the kids were coming in sometimes without eating breakfast or lunch, being active but not having enough energy," Tryon said. "Feeding helps us get more kids in. They get two good meals out of it."

The camp averaged about 30 kids during the first week, but now Tryon said he consistently has between 60 and 70 each day. SKC is the program's main location, but Tribal Health opened two new sites in St. Ignatius and Arlee last week.

"Usually, the schools do this during summer school, but that only lasts for two to three weeks," Tryon said. "We thought, why not try to do this all summer?"

Breakfast is served 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Thursdays. Then, Tryon and fitness coordinator Paul Phillips pick out three activities each day. Activities range from native games to lacrosse or dodge ball. They aim for enough variety that every kid will want to participate. By noon, the kids have banked between two to three hours of physical activity, which is the recommended amount for healthy living.

Lunch typically consists of a sandwich, fruit, vegetable and a healthy snack or two.

"We have to meet certain requirements," Tryon said. "We try to make the food as healthy as possible, but also taste good to the kids."

Being creative is key. Tryon likes to combine celery sticks with peanut butter and pick fruits like watermelon, which is refreshing and sweet, but also provides hydration.

After lunch, the program organizes transportation to the Boys and Girls Clubs in Polson and Ronan.

According to Tryon, the biggest challenge at first was getting enough help.

"We asked parents and older kids to volunteer their time," he said.

Tribal Waves and CSKT's Department of Human Resources Development Workforce Investment Act provide employees to prepare and serve the meals.

"You have to know how many kids are coming in so you don't prepare too much food, or not enough," Tryon said. "We are usually plus or minus five plates and that's right where you want to be."

Parents are encouraged to stop in anytime, all summer long or contact Mike Tryon at 275-4800 ext. 4981 for more information.