The Heart & Stroke Foundation’s 60 Minutes Kids’ Club is in its second year in Merritt and thriving.

The healthy and active living initiative is being embraced by youngsters from the ages of five to thirteen at all five local elementary schools.
Originally introduced to SD 58 students by the Merritt branch of PacificSport BC in the fall of 2013, the program is in its third session and growing in leaps and bounds.

According to PacificSport BC development co-ordinator Josée Warren, over 160 students from Bench, Central, Collettville, Diamond Vale and Nicola Canford schools are currently participating in the 2014 fall challenge which runs for 60 days in October and November.
During the 60-day period, each youngster monitors and records his or her daily healthy activities according to five trackers: activity, nutrition, screen time, hydration and sleep.

All the information is stored online. The data is used to determine the activity rates of individual students, as well as that of classes, schools and districts across the country that have enrolled in the program.

Since SD 58 schools first jumped on board with the 60MKC, they have been excelling nationally.

In the fall of 2013, Collettville Elementary placed first in their own district, first in the province of B.C. (out of 35 participating schools), and third in the nation (out of 78 schools).

This past spring, it was Diamond Vale Elementary School’s turn to lead the way locally. They also finished sixth in the province out of 78 schools, and 20th in Canada out of 211 schools.

At the halfway mark of this fall’s 60MKC Challenge, it is Central School that is leading the way locally, with Diamond Vale second, Nicola Canford third, Collettville fourth and Bench fifth.

Provincially, all five schools are in the top-10 rankings for the fall session. Both Central and Diamond Vale are also in the top-10 in Canada.

“The 60MKC Challenge gets kids thinking about their healthy choices on a daily basis,” Warren said, “so that it becomes a habit — a habit they will carry with them as they get older.”