May 12, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Young Professionals Board of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is going "all in" June 5 at their Casino Royale, hoping to "bump" funding for the center's Healthy Happy Kids Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to keep obesity from getting the "casino advantage" over Alabama's children.
The event, at WorkPlay in Birmingham, is open to the public and tickets start at $50. From 6 to 7 p.m. there will be a "high rollers" sponsors reception and the casino opens at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar, celebrity dealers (including television anchor Bettina Boateng from NBC-13 and Sherri Jackson from CBS-42 and comedians Steve Brown, Roy Wood Jr., and Tha Berry Boys), live entertainment and great door prizes. Presenting sponsors include 98.7 Kiss FM and Walker Law Firm. For tickets, call 205-975-5659 or email samika@uab.edu.
Healthy Happy Kids is a free, hands-on, six-session curriculum targeting underserved elementary school children attending after-school programs in inner city schools. It is designed to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity. The children learn theoretical lessons on the food pyramid and calorie balance, as well as practical lessons on hands-on preparation of healthy foods. There also are interactive lessons on the importance of daily physical activity, and they learn easy and fun games that promote physical activity. Plans are to implement the program in after-school care programs city and statewide as funding becomes available.
"In the United States, obesity occurs at higher rates in racial and ethnic minority populations such as African-American and Hispanic-Americans. Also, cultural factors influence dietary and exercise behaviors, and research has shown these play a major role in the development of excess weight in minority groups," said UAB MHRC Director Mona Fouad, M.D. "We targeted these groups of children for this program in an effort to help them learn early how to lead a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise."
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) Young Professionals Board, launched in 2009, is a group of young professionals age 25 to 40, who represent diverse professions and ethnicities. They are ambassadors for the MHRC and contribute to minority focused health care delivery, research and community outreach. The young professionals board supports the YP Health Disparities Fund and, on an annual basis, selects an MHRC project that it supports. The board also takes part in hands-on community outreach projects in the Birmingham area or throughout Alabama's Black Belt region.
About UAB
The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is a comprehensive educational, research and community outreach center focused on eliminating the health disparities of racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations.