4/24/2009 1:45:00 PM Sun Prairie Youth Center, Karate America
win first Healthy Communities Awards
Sun Prairie Youth Center Dan Moritz displays the Health Communities Award received by the center from Public Health Madison and Dane County last Wednesday, April 15 at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center in Madison (photo by Chris Mertes).
Individuals present during the Healthy Communities Award on behalf of Karate America were Eileen Stevens, Program Assistant (second from left); Master Bill Koster, Owner/Chief Instructor (holding award) and (second from right, in skirt) Dona Davison Krauser, Program Administrator, who posed with Madison and Dane County Public Health and Group Health Cooperative employees who helped present the awards April 15 (photo by Chris Mertes).
Chris Mertes Managing Editor
Eight area organizations, including two from Sun Prairie, received awards as part of the Madison Dane County Public Health Department's Healthy Communities awards presented April 15 at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center in Madison.
The Healthy Communities Award Program is sponsored by Public Health - Madison and Dane County, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) and Dane County Dairy Promotion. To participate in this program, organizations serving youth submitted a plan to make sustainable improvements in their food practices, nutrition education and physical activity programs. They received assistance, resources and supplies to complete their plans during a period of six months, and were rewarded with prizes funded by GHC-SCW.
Local award winners included the Deerfield Community Center, the Cambridge Communities Activities Program Center, the Bridge Lake Point Waunona Neighborhood Center in Monona, the Cottage Grove Parks and Recreation Department, Karate America and the Sun Prairie Youth Center.
The award ceremony featured remarks from Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Thomas Schlenker, director of the Madison Dane County Public Health Department in addition to Seth Foldy, administrator of the Division of Public Health for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Susan Zahner, chair of the Board of Health of Madison and Dane County.
"It goes to show how important it is to celebrate and honor people who contribute time and energy and wisdom to really helping improve the health and safety of the people of Madison and Dane County," Zahner said, referring to the Public Health Awards.
"These awards have been given now for the past 12 years," Zahner said, asking past recipients to stand. The awards have been a joint effort between local boards and commissions of health and the county to recognize the talents of individuals and leaders who contribute to making Madison and Dane County a healthier place, according to Zahner.
Although 70 people have been recognized since the awards began in 1998, "many more people deserve awards and recognition," but the awards presented April 15 were the first of a new set of awards called the Healthy Communities Awards.
Zahner introduced Falk, who thanked the audience for reelecting her as county executive. Calling the awards a "rite of spring," Falk praised the "fabulous people who are on the front lines of public health every day in our county" and thanked them.
"There are three things I think the award winners and you always exemplify," Falk said. "Taking a problem . . . . and being willing to say 'let's try a different model' . . .so instead of a hand out, it's a hand up."
The second piece exemplified by the winners is their ability and foresight in partnering, Falk said. "Not one of us can do this alone. That's why we're all here together - we each help each other do something that hasn't been done or couldn't be done . . . and the third one always come down to just people - wonderful people who get up every day and say 'despite what we did yesterday it wasn't good enough and we're going to try to do it better ' . . . that kind of can-do courage and passion and energy all comes down to individual people.
"So thank you all for being those people that continue to have us defy the statistics and be a better place thanks to all of you," Falk said, getting applause from the assembled audience.
Cieslewicz apologized for being late, but he said he insisted on carpooling in the City of Madison's Honda Civic, "instead of the much larger county car."
"A Ford Taurus," Falk yelled in the background, getting a few laughs from the audience.
The mayor also said he insisted on lunch - "I think it's so important to have three good meals a day," he added - although he said he had the roast beef, and couscous and not fries or chips.
"The county executive had iced tea - so she's wasting away for us. Please remind her that a good lunch leads to better decisions in the afternoon . . . or a nap, either one," Cieslewicz said, getting more laughter.
The Madison mayor touted the merger of the city and county health departments and the city's smoking ban, calling it "a tremendous success" in Madison despite 40 taverns closing since its implementation.
"That has been good for business in the city," Cieslewicz said. "I know so many bar owners in the city who tell me they would never go back because of their own health and the health of their employees.
"You see families out and about who would not be there with small children. So it has been a tremendous success. So I don't care so much for the City of Madison - we've been very successful with this; our businesses are doing just fine. But I'd like to see those same benefits go to the rest of the state," the Madison mayor said.
Cieslewicz also praised Falk for her leadership and courage taking on the issue of alcohol abuse in Dane County. "She really has put that issue on the front burner and we're talking about things like the first increase in the beer tax in this state since 1968 or something like that and it's got traction - and it wouldn't be there unless Kathleen Falk and others like her had the courage to put that on the front burner for us," he said.
An improvement in air quality, and a decline in infant mortality rates among African-Americans throughout Dane County were also praised by the Madison mayor as reasons to celebrate improvements in public health throughout the community.
Cieslewicz also said the Madison "Fit City" program will be reenergized this year.
"You'll actually see some things coming up especially with regard to biking - some really fun biking events that I can't talk about in detail yet, but when you hear about it, you're all going to want to be there," Cieslewicz said.
"And lastly, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a new administration in Washington," the Madison mayor said with a smile, "in so many ways."
When a slight bit of laughter in the room subsided, Cieslewicz added, "We're actually talking about what we need in this country, which is Universal Health Care. There is just no reason why in the richest country on Earth, so many of us should be without basic health care. And we actually have an administration in Washington that wants to do something about it. So we should be happy about that.
"And of course, going from the national level to right down here is what really makes Public Health work in our community, is all of you. And those of you who work day in and day out in all of these arenas in public health so I'm delighted to be here today to pass out a few awards," the Madison mayor added, "to shake your hands to congratulate you for the work you do and a little bit of recognition isn't a bad thing because it inspires other people to also pick up the same effort and join you in that and thank you so much."
Schlenker welcomed everyone in attendance and reminded the audience that this is the first year the Healthy Communities Awards were being presented.
"This year that (award) goes to 12 organizations that serve youth in Dane County, and each of these organizations over this year has focused on getting youth to eat right and to exercise more to become fitter, and that's such an important thing to do and we want to honor them for that," Schlenker said.
Besides the previously listed winners, other Healthy Communities Awards went to Bayview Foundation Inc.; the East Madison Community Center; Partners in Parenting Family Resource Center of South Madison; the Kennedy Heights Community Center; the Mount Horeb Youth Center and After School Clubs Inc. of Oregon.
Sun Prairie winners listed The Sun Prairie Youth Center, located at 160 South St., is a YMCA affiliated after-school program serving primarily middle school youth. Center staff implemented some improvements in their food practices by significantly cutting back on providing soda, instead serving sugar-free drinks, low-fat milk and juice. They are also developing partnerships with community groups to provide a weekly nutritious meal for the youth.
Open basketball is scheduled when the building gym is available, and some new active indoor activities will soon be added, thanks to donations from GHC-SCW. Youth Center staff also welcomed Public Health and other partners to implement a number of projects including a nutrition education and physical education weekly series, a photo-mapping project where youth evaluated barriers to safe walking and biking in their neighborhoods, and a survey to learn more about sports and fitness activities that Sun Prairie youth are interested in and barriers to them participating.
"It's been rewarding to work with Public Health of Dane County and Group Health Cooperative of Southern Wisconsin to promote healthy eating and exercise habits," said Sun Prairie Youth Center Director Dan Moritz. "We are committed at the Youth Center in providing a healthy environment for students."
Karate America of Sun Prairie received a Healthy Communities Award because of its commitment to establishing a new scholarship fund to enroll youth who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate - youth who may not be involved in other sports.
Karate America is now raising funds through a variety of means to match and build upon funds for fee reductions granted by Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin. In addition, owner Bill Koster and his staff have provided free programs to youth served by other Sun Prairie partners, including the Sun Prairie Youth Center, Scouts and 4H, and a very low cost summer program through the Sun Prairie Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Karate America also started a fitness program for adults and promoted healthy eating through interactive displays and their website.
Koster expressed gratitude for the recognition and the award. "In the spirit of the Dane County Healthy Communities we wrote a proposal outlining our ongoing commitment to health and fitness and our desire to start a scholarship program so that youth/young adults who wish to experience martial fitness, but their family income may be on the edge of economic times, may have the means to be afforded this opportunity. HMO's are recognizing the health benefits tied to martial fitness and some offer partial reimbursement to families who participate," Koster said.
Students at Karate America Mixed Martial Arts not only have the opportunity to participate in a great fitness program, but they learn personal safety at the same time. "What we teach is real. It is effective, safe, and practical and skills are learned that will benefit students for a lifetime. We do not compete against each other. We train using a cooperative system which enables students to perform at their personal best and it brings out the best in their peers," Koster added.
"It is with great appreciation that we accept this award and start-up funds for our scholarship program supported by Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, Madison Mayor Cieslewicz, Public Health Department of Dane County, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, and Dane County Dairy Promotions," Koster said.
"I'd like to emphasize that I also provide matching funds to stretch the scholarship funds and provide service to students that have desire and willingness to participate in a fitness program such as ours, but financial barriers barred them from seeking out our program," Koster said.
Any individual or business wishing to make a tax-free donation to help support a student can write a check to Dane County Public Health and mail or drop off check to Karate America at 972 W. Main Street, just down from Sentry Foods in same parking lot or check the school's web site at www.karate-america.net to learn more about the program .
As part of this initiative, on April 25 at 10 a.m. Karate American is hosting a Fun Family Fitness event taking place at Prairie View Middle School.
The event costs $10 per person or $30 per family with all profit supporting the scholarship program; call 837-7444 or send an e-mail to kasp@charter.net to register.
