Sponsors, Participants Sought for Youth Fitness Camps at UMaine

A University of Maine football player from Washington, D.C. serving as the athletic program director for the national youth health and fitness initiative is bringing a message about youth inactivity and obesity to Maine through a 2011 Wellness and Nutrition Summer Youth Camp program this summer.

Roosevelt Boone, a senior scholar athlete on the Black Bear football team and an employee of City Sports, Gallery Place Store in Washington, D.C., serves as athletic program director for Strong Mind – Strong Body, Inc., which is presenting four week-long Wellness and Nutrition Summer Youth Camps for adolescents ages 10 through 17. Camps begin July 1 on the University of Maine Campus.

The program offers physical education training, sports fundamentals, arts and crafts, personal hygiene and nutrition to Maine youth. UMaine athletes serving as youth trainers and counselors during the four-week period will provide instruction in the fundamentals of a wide range of sports to include baseball, football, tennis, track, rock climbing and swimming. In addition, certified experts offer instruction in nutrition, health, wellness and personal hygiene. Healthy foods and refreshments will be provided to all students, and free transportation to the camp will be provided to students in need.

“Two of the biggest problems facing our youth today are obesity and poor health habits,” Boone says. “This problem is of such significance that First Lady Michelle Obama has identified these two issues as national priorities to address through her program ‘Let’s Move.'”

The youth summer camps will give youths an excellent start in combating obesity, establishing healthy eating habits, and physically getting in shape, he says.

Boone says the program is in need of business and individual sponsors, in addition to guest speakers and presenters who feel they can share a testimony, render instruction to youth, provide life skills coaching, or just stop in and make new friends.

More information is available by calling Boone at (202) 375-8033 or Strong Mind — Strong Body Executive Director Alice Boone at (202) 489-1936.

Strong Mind — Strong Body, Inc. is a registered and certified non-profit organization with roots originating in Washington, D.C. Boone asks that prospective sponsors support the program with a tax-deductible donation, partnership, in-kind contribution, or volunteer time for the 2011 Wellness and Nutrition Summer Youth Camp at UMaine.

Donors can reference “Strong Mind — Strong Body, Inc. SMSB-8033” on the memo line.  Gifts will be processed through the university Conference Services Division program and can be sent to the University of Maine, Attn:  Bruce G. Stinson,  Director – Conference Services Division, Chadbourne Hall – 1st Floor, Orono, ME  04469-5713. Stinson can be reached by telephone at (207) 581-4091.

Contact: Roosevelt Boone, (202) 375-8033