The Newton Wellness Coalition plans to participate in Thanks with Franks again this year, with a slightly different activity the group decided Wednesday.
To encourage exercise and give kids an activity to participate in, the group plans to have an obstacle course at the event with a prize at the end.
“It’s mostly little people, ages 3 to 10, so it isn’t that difficult,” said coalition member Sheri Benson.
The group participated in the event last year as well. They had a balloon popping activity where a child would select a balloon, pop it and inside would be a quick activity to do, such as jumping jacks or push ups. They each received a prize for their efforts.
“I thought it went really well last year, it was fun,” said Jenny Thompson, coalition member.
Another activity the group participated in recently was the Newton Fourth of July parade. Like last year, the group handed out bananas along the parade route, as well as bags of almonds, to offer a healthy option to the patrons.
“I heard a lot of good things about us doing that again — people really think it is great,” member Nathan Unsworth, said.
The group tweaked its technique this year, having a trailer hold the bananas, which were donated by Hy-Vee and Walmart, instead of pushing them in a cart. That gave those handing them out a better opportunity to reach more members in the crowd and not get behind in the parade.
“It really went well,” Unsworth said.
An event the group started earlier this summer will receive some changes. Newton Talks was an event where local community members spoke about their wellness journeys, whether it be weight loss or living with a disease.
Although they were very pleased with the speakers, the turnout was not a high as they hoped. The final talk planned for July was canceled and the group began searching for new ideas to get the stories to a wider audience.
An idea the coalition had earlier was to attach the talks to an event already planned, which they did at a YMCA event with much success. That idea remains in play along with video taping the speakers and putting them on YouTube for easier access to the public.
“All the stories were really great; we just didn’t reach people,” Unsworth said. “By videotaping, we could reach more people.”
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com