Coca-cola and Bruins Bring Healthy Message to Youths at Charletown Boys and Girls Club

Coca-Cola and the Boston Bruins teamed up to promote “Get the Ball Rolling” at the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club.  The interactive initiative helps teach local youth about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle through proper exercise and nutrition. The event was featured on the latest episode of Behind the B, which aired tonight on NESN.  The episode can be streamed online at bostonbruins.com/behindtheb.

As part of Coca-Cola’s “Get the Ball Rolling” program, the Bruins hosted a youth street hockey clinic at the Charlestown Club on December 2.  Bruins players Tuukka Rask and Shawn Thornton joined 50 middle and high school students for the event. The clinic featured three fitness stations and a nutritional education station.  Bruins Strength and Conditioning Coach John Whitesides kicked-off the event with a stretching exercise, then talked to participants about the importance of making smart food choices.

“At Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston we strive to ensure that our members live healthy lifestyles by maintaining a proper diet and engaging in regular physical activity,” said Josh Kraft, Nicholas President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.  “The street hockey clinic hosted by Coca-Cola and the Boston Bruins only further emphasized the importance of this and our members had a great time, too.”

Experts from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital ClimbCorps program provided information on balanced eating for participants to take home and share with their families.

“Children are developing cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure, earlier than ever before and we know that childhood obesity drastically increases the risks for heart disease later in life” says preventive cardiologist JoAnne Foody, MD, FACC, FAHA, Medical Director of ClimbCorps at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Educating our youth about healthy lifestyle choices, particularly about the importance of diet and exercise, is key to combating the obesity epidemic and improving America’s heart health.”

Coca-Cola’s ongoing “Get the Ball Rolling” events are held through partnerships with professional sports teams across the country.

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