The Amazing Walk! Returns!
It’s amazing! It’s a walk! It’s—THE AMAZING WALK!
Join the Säjai Foundation on Sat., Sept. 29 from 9-11 a.m. at North Mississippi Regional Park for a 5K like no other. Bring the kids, bring your friends, and bring a sense of adventure to try the sometimes challenging, sometimes goofy, but always fun activities you’ll find spread out across the 5K walk. We had a blast last year and have even bigger and better plans for 2012!
What will you be doing? All kinds of things–geocaching, trying new veggies, parkour, running, dancing, rock-climbing. These are just a few of the things you’ll get to try along the way! An expo area will introduce you to the amazing work being done by our many partners. Bonus: the North Mississippi Regional Park is a hidden gem in Minneapolis, a place where urban blight has been reclaimed and turned into a nature haven.
All ages and activity levels welcome! (Psst–bring your own water bottle. There will be water stations to refill it along the way.)
Register Here
Getting Kids Outdoors and Unplugged
We’re proud to be featured in a recent AfterSchool Today Magazine article, which you can read by downloading this PDF.
Calling Minnesota-Based Youth Programs!
The Säjai Foundation is awarding scholarships towards any Wise Kids® program kit to Minnesota-based organizations with an afterschool or summer camp program. These turnkey programs provide your staff with all the training, tools, activities, and materials needed to implement a fun and exciting program. Five kits will be awarded in total. The application deadline is February 29, 2012. Please contact Amy Rea at amy@sajaifoundation.org with any questions.
You can find more details and application information by visiting our Grants and Scholarships page.
We urge you to let us know if you are interested in the Wise Kids program for your kids and to sign up for our mailing list (the contact form on the left), as we will send out information about upcoming scholarships in the future.
Sajai Foundation on FOX 9
On Jan. 12, Foundation CEO/President Melissa Hanson was featured on a segment of FOX 9 news about helping kids find healthy balance in their lives. Check out the video!
Anti-Obesity Expert: Calories Are Not Evil: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com
7 Days to 30 Miles
The countdown begins–it’s only one week until our CEO/President Melissa Hanson will set out from Maple Grove to walk to the Mall of America, a distance of 30 miles–her personal Amazing Walk.
Melissa Hanson, training with her dog Skeeter
Why is she doing this? To raise awareness of the dangers and prevalence of childhood obesity. You can find her thoughts on why raising awareness about childhood obesity is critical by clicking here.
You can also see the route she’s planned by clicking here.
We really don’t want Melissa to have to walk the full 30 miles. Even for someone in great condition (which she is), that’s a lot to ask of the human body.
How Can You Help?
On Wed., Nov. 16, Minnesotans will participate in the third annual Give to the Max Day. Donations made via our Give MN page (on Nov. 16 only) will have two additional benefits:
- Donations up to $10,000 will be doubled by a generous anonymous donor
- Donations will take some of the burden off Melissa
How Will Donations Make Melissa’s Walk Easier?
- Every $500 raised, Melissa will get a 15-minute break to rest from her own Amazing Walk.
- Every $1,000 raised, Melissa will have a substitute walker for 1 mile while she rides in the van that will be following her throughout the day.
- Every $5,000 raised, Melissa will get a 5-mile bike ride.
What this means is that every donation will be doubled (up to $10,000), helping us teach even more kids about healthy living and exploring the outdoors, and as they accumulate, Melissa will get some much-needed relief.
Please consider making a donation on Nov. 16 to help us teach more kids about healthy living–and to help Melissa make her journey!
What We Also Need:
The walk ends at the Mall of America, as that’s where the Give to the Max Day headquarters are located. You know what we’d really love?
A huge crowd of supporters cheering Melissa across the finish line.
This will take place sometime late afternoon. We’ll have a more definite time as we get closer to the date, but right now we’re estimating around 5-5:30 p.m. If you could join us at the Mall around that time, please email Amy (amy@sajaifoundation.org) and let her know, so she can contact you with details as we get them.
If you can’t be at the Mall, but have some flexibility during the day, also let Amy know–there will be stops at coffee shops along the way, and it’d be wonderful to have people greet Melissa and give her lots of encouragement. (Especially if the weather is bad.) (Which we’re trusting won’t happen.)
We’re very excited about Nov. 16–please join us!
Attention, Texas and Florida youth sites!
Don’t forget–Nov. 11 is the last day to apply for a scholarship for one of our Wise Kids programs! You can find the details by clicking here.
Calling all Texas and Florida youth programs!
Make tracks towards healthier living!
The Säjai Foundation will award scholarships towards any Wise Kids® kit to Texas- or Florida-based organizations with a summer camp/afterschool program. Kit choices include Wise Kids/Wise Kids Two, 9-lesson programs about healthy nutrition and activity choices, or Wise Kids Outdoors, a 20-session program that teaches kids about environmental stewardship and nature as well as about keeping themselves healthy. Winners choose either a small kit for 30 kids (a $500 value) or large kit for 100 kids (a $1,150 value). A nominal agency fee (maximum $100) will be required to receive the award kit. Ten kits will be awarded in total. The online application and details of the scholarship program can be found by clicking here. The application deadline is November 11, 2011. Please contact Carrie Stolar at carrie@sajaifoundation.org with any questions.
Wow. A new study published by the Mission: Readiness group which studies the upcoming young generations for readiness to enter military service has found that 27% of youth ages 17-24 are too fat to serve in the military. Read the full study by clicking here.
Attention Cub Scouts!
Cub Scouts, join us on 9/24 for the Säjai Foundation’s Amazing Walk!. As you know, 9/24 is National Public Lands Day. And, it can also be a great morning for you to work on achievements. This 5K walk at the North Mississippi Regional Park is free to you so that you can begin working on achievements such as hiking, tree identification, learning about healthy foods and making a healthy snack, physical activity (you’ll be walking almost 3 miles! And, you’ll learn to stretch your muscles and practice running and dancing too), geocaching and more. We hope dens, or individual Cub Scouts and their parents will come on out and join us in learning more about healthy living and accomplishing some great Cub Scout activities too! You’ll receive a backpack and more. Visit us at www.sajaifoundation.org for more information.
Please RSVP by email if you are able to attend: info@sajaifoundation.org
Kiwifruit–good for us in ways that might surprise you!
Sure, kiwifruit is good for us–it’s packed full of great nutrients. Just look at the list:
• One of the only low-fat sources of vitamin E • High in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants • Readily included in a diabetic diet • More vitamin C than an orange (240% the recommended daily intake!) • More potassium than a banana • Low in sodium • Less than 50 calories in each whole fruit
But beyond the nutritional benefits, right now the Foundation could gain additional benefits from kiwifruits. Announcing: the Kiwifruits for Kids Challenge!
ZESPRI Kiwifruits has selected six nonprofits across the U.S. to compete in a Facebook-based game. The nonprofit earning the most points will win $10,000; second place wins $5000. Winning either prize would allow us to reach even more kids with our Wise Kids® programs, to teach them about healthy living and exploring the outdoors as we continue to battle childhood obesity.
Playing the kiwi games only requires a Facebook account and a few minutes of your time each day. Please help us win the golden kiwi! Start now, and play as often as you can through Oct. 21, 2011.
For more details, see the Kiwifruit for Kids Launch press release.
