It’s Bucky here.  If you’ve been keeping up then you might have an idea of who I am, but if not then I’m part of the Fit Club team.  Things are going amazingly well with Fit Club 2.0.  Recently, we had TrySports down at Mitchell to help fit our kids with “top of the line” athletic shoes!  27 pairs to be exact!! Of course, it is because of the generous support of people who have donated time and money that helped put this together for our kids.  It really is amazing how a small group of people can make a difference.  I feel that it is our job to give an opportunity for a change to our kids, and it definitely helps when we have people like TrySports who are willing to share in this responsibility.

Let me give you the update on all that has been happening at Fit Club.  First, we have just about tripled in our size since our pilot launch.  We have three schools participating.  We are still meeting at Mitchell, but with the help of Durham and the Charleston County School Disctrict we have been able to get transportation to and from Fit Club.  Piggly Wiggly, again has been so wonderful to us.  They are donating 30 pieces of fruit and another low fat, high fiber snack.  The kids seem to love the FiberOne bars.

The kids are all working well together.  It’s been a great adjustment from our pilot launch.  In the physical activity side of things, we are having a blast.  We’ve done lost of walking (my personal favorite is walking backwards), laughing, some karate, and of course BALLOONS!  We still have a lot in store for the Fit Clubbers as well.  We are hoping to start some swimming in the coming weeks.  We’ve been waiting on our local pool to get prepared for the winter before we ventured to start swimming.  Our nutritional segment has been wonderful this time too.  We have a great RD that is lending a hand in all this.  She provides some great visual examples and does some great team building activities with our kids.

The group therapy seems to be right on target.  The kids are responding very well.  I’m not allowed to be around the group therapy stuff, but I can see and hear the difference in our kids voices and attitudes.  We’ve been losing weight too.  Over 60 pounds I believe.  So, as you can see we are movng along nicely.  It has been such an unbelieveable experience to watch and grow with this group and the program with louieskids.org.  It helps to be surrounded by the right people!

We’ve certainly been blessed this Holiday Season.  From the staff, to the children, and to the wonderful volunteers who are so key in making this program successful.  I really just want to say Thank You to everyone involved.  I hope you will keep reading, and I will keep writing so that everyone who has lent their helping hand can really see the difference we are making.

Have a great Christmas everyone!

We could not have done this without the support of folks like Piggly Wiggly Carolina, Women Making a Difference and our good friends at the Junior League of Charleston and the AMAZING folks from CCSD and Durham School services.

We meet at Mitchell every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-5:30 and plan active physical fitness opportunities every Saturday. If you’d like to come check out the program or meet some of the kids give us a shout -we’d LOVE to have you check us out.

Here are some pictures of our first launch -the parent workshop. You can see us doing the “cha cha slide” -very successful with parents and kids (especially our therapist Millie!). You can also see Ms. Coakley (Parent Advocate) and Louis, founder of Louieskids.org giving families tips on how to be successful in Fit Club.

We could have never imagined such a wonderful response at our Sneak Peak during the Fall Design Walk October 23rd. Thank the hundreds of visitors who came out to show your support.

Continuing the trend of exciting events, King Street Kitchen Company’s November 13th Grand Opening will not only be a celebration of great design, it will also be a celebration for a locally operated organization, Louie’s Kids, that helps treat childhood obesity nationwide.
Just like Louie’s Kids does through education and fitness programs, we hope to influence healthy lifestyles by creating cooking and living environments that our clients love to live in. Please join us for this celebration, see our new showcases and learn about KSKC kitchens for your home.  You’ll see favorite products that we’ve used in past projects, vintage materials being reintroduced as unique design solutions, and totally new products making their debut in the world of kitchen design. Come meet our designers, enjoy the party and help us thank Louie’s Kids for all of their positive influence in our society.
King Street Kitchen Company is located at 543 King Street in the Upper King Design District. Parking is available at the Visitors Center between John and Ann, and shuttles will be provided by Baker Motor Company of Charleston.

Louis

On Oct 22, 2008, at 8:59 PM, 

Dear Louis:

 

Just a note to express my gratitude for continuing to make it possible for us to go to the Y.  We are still on our journeys, some weeks are better than others.  Elliot has lost a total of 38 lbs. and I have lost a total of 32 lbs. We continue to follow the 11 grams of fat or less a day. 

 

Elliot is working on his cycling merit badge with the scouts, they camped out and biked 20 miles on the Natchez Trace this past weekend.  He enjoys it.  Plus he just got invited to participate at Philmont in New Mexico this coming summer.  Its a two week back pack expedition with the scouts.  Not all scouts get this opportunity, but Elliot has proved his abilities as an avid back packer.  So we will be trying to get him in shape for that for sure, it will be a little more strenuous than anything he has done so far.  I think he has some reservations about it, but as well it can be motivation for him.

 

I will be doing my clinical exams at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta November 14, 15, and 16. I ask for your prayers.  I am wound like a top, its very nerve wracking preparing for this.  But I believe in the power of prayer, and I have just been asking people to say a prayer for me.

 

Once again I cannot thank you enough Louis, you truly are an angel that God has sent to us.

 

Love, Marguerite

 

 

Stay tuned for pictures. Next year -and I’m already saying next year, next year, we will advertise rain or shine because it’s clear that this community this little union of folks can get a lot done.

One of my favorite all time quotes is perfectly suited for my humbly thanking each one of you that raised money, came out and continue to support us, it reads:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead
 

Thank you again yoga community of Charleston -I’ll be posting what we have raised as well as the winner of the airline tickets in the next two weeks.

Namaste

November 29th 2008 by Louis

It was reported today that a new magnet school opened in Spartanburg, SC. Some might say it’s not a big deal, but The Academy of Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine magnet program is like no other magnet - ever. What makes this school different? While most middle school students take PE for nine weeks of the year, these students will have it every day, for 45 minutes, for the entire school year.

 It makes  sense that a school devote itself to  the academic wellbeing of their kids as well as  their health and wellness. Administrators will tell you that the test scores for children in the higher BMI ranges (Body Mass Index) are systematically low or below average. Kids who are overweight are less likely to succeed in school, less likely to go to college, have a family or lose the weight.
 
 If we don’t treat the kids most affected by the skyrocketing incidence of adolescent obesity, we’ll pay for them later. I can tell you that after 7 years in the business of providing treatment to kids, we have learned that having engaged adults available to these kids is crucial. I look to one kid specifically in our Fit Club program that Louie’s Kids introduced this past summer at Mitchell Elementary. Her Mom, Dad and Grandmother are all supporting her – they’ve made their house a fat-free zone, they’ve encouraged her to wear her pedometer, asked her if she’s journaling as required, and the results are in –she’s lost 22 lbs since June 3.

Let’s join with Spartanburg and recognize programs like Fit Club, the Lean Team or Junior Doctors in Health as opportunities to turn around failing schools and support children’s health and their overall wellbeing.
 
Louis Yuhasz 

We are still looking for the City’s most popular yogi’s to call sun salutations that day -give us a shout if you’re interested.

You can download a sponsor form and get started raising money for us here on the site. Scroll down on our blog and click on the link to the sponsor form and the poster -and pssst “tell your friends!”

Thanks for checking in!
Louis