The city of Harrisburg has accepted the national challenge to get fit, including First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, and localized the effort for its citizens. In what has been dubbed the Summer of Fun, Mayor Linda Thompson has launched the most far-reaching, all-encompassing health, wellness and recreation initiative in the city’s history, which will bring an element of community education and support to the traditional urban summer recreational programming.

The timing could not be better. According to a report recently released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the trend toward childhood obesity is escalating in the capital city and throughout the state. In 25 Pennsylvania counties, 20 percent or more of children in seventh through 12th grade are in the 95th percentile or greater of body mass index (BMI), putting them in the obese category.

In Harrisburg, the childhood obesity statistics are even worse. In addition to more than 20 percent of high school kids, 18 percent of elementary students are considered obese, according to Dr. Thomas Loughran, of Penn State Milton Hershey Cancer Institute. "These incidents are higher than any other county, any other part of Pennsylvania, and also higher than the national average," he says.

Harrisburg’s new Summer of Fun initiative, a year in the making, is designed to combat this alarming news by giving kids new opportunities to learn, play and stay active—at no cost to parents. Education and training about healthy eating and sustainable living for kids and families coincides with sports, recreational events and entertainment for half of June, the entire month of July and the early part of August.

The community initiative is broken up into three categories: Healthy Harrisburg, which addresses nutrition and disease awareness and prevention; Harrisburg Quality Care, which focuses on quality of life, cleanliness, beautification and restoration; and Youth as Restorers, which covers physical activities, academic enrichment and mentoring, and better utilization of area parks.

Educational outreach programs, at sites such as Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center, will cover such topics as family fitness, nutrition, breast cancer prevention, urban agriculture, and, of course, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.

Several thousand students are expected to be involved. Nine locations throughout the city, called HUBs, typically schools or churches, will be staffed with six to 10 interns, healthcare or nursing students, schoolteachers and more. The objective is to reach as many underserved children as possible through HUB campuses and playgrounds. “The mayor’s goal is a safe, secure and enriching environment at each HUB campus for the children to engage each other and their families in a nurturing and productive manner,” says Robert Philbin, Harrisburg director of communications.

According to Philbin, in any urban environment, underserved children with multiple needs must be addressed creatively and economically. “A wider initiative, which includes the family and neighborhood through health fairs, street clean-up, urban agriculture and wellness programs, accomplishes several support strategies around our children at one time,” he explains.

While the health of the whole child has been identified as an important focus for all programs, the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Enrichment (DPRE) took the plan a step further, prioritizing the health, wellness and active lifestyle options for every resident of Harrisburg, regardless of age.

Involving the entire family is a crucial component to the initiative, according to Philbin, who says the family is the first level of behavioral change for the child. “If the family is engaged, the child benefits directly,” he explains. “If multiple families are involved at each location, the child’s neighborhood is strengthened.”

Although budget constraints exist at city, state and national levels, many area businesses, schools, agencies, churches and non-profit groups have come together to support the push to make Harrisburg a healthy and prosperous city. Collaborating partners include Highmark Blue Shield, Hershey Company, Frito Lay, Harrisburg School District, Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and others.

City leaders hope to roll the summer program over into an after-school enrichment program in the fall and back to the summer recreational program next year. For now, the objective is to set the framework for a healthier Harrisburg. Perhaps Boys & Girls Club of Central PA member Airan Chester captures the intention best saying, "I'm excited for the summer, because people can be active and it can be fun in the summer time."

To find out more about the city of Harrisburg’s Health, Wellness and Recreation Initiative call 717-255-3040 or visit HarrisburgPA.gov.