Portneuf Health Trust teaming up with school district for summer program

School is almost out for the summer and that might leave some parents wondering how to keep their kids active for the summer.

The Portneuf Health Trust is partnering with the Pocatello/Chubbuck school district to provide some activities for the kids.

The school district will provide the lunch, the health trust will provide the various physical activities. Lacey Taylor, community wellness coordinator with Portneuf Health Trust said that each year, the school district tries to incorporate physical exercise and activities into the free lunch program. But this will be the first year the health trust has gotten involved and had a fully organized physical activity schedule. This is also the first year they will be bringing in several athletic groups from the community to play with the kids. So Taylor said there will definitely be a lot more to the physical activity portion this summer.

PHT has arranged several volunteer groups from the community to provide the activities. Some of those groups include local cross fit, local gyms, high school athletic teams, ISU athletes and even the Pocatello Police Department is on board. Taylor said each group will bring a little something different – they can focus their activity on what that particular group does.

“They’re just going to show up at Alameda Park and get the kids up and playing and get active in the way that they do,” Taylor said. “So I’m sure cross fit will do kind of a cool variety workout and then the dance team will probably dance with them. Just a lot of different activities going on this summer.”

Taylor said all of the volunteers are 18 or older, unless they are part of the high school athletic teams. She said in that case, they will have coaches with them. Taylor or another member from the trust will always be in attendance as well. So she said there will always be adult supervision.

Taylor said programs like this are important because it gives the kids something healthy and active to do during the summer, rather than staying indoors at home all the time.

“When they’re not at school, often times they’ll be at home watching t.v. or playing video games,” she said. “We’re kind of in that generation where kids aren’t going outside as much.”

The free lunch program will run Monday through Friday at various parks in Pocatello. The physical activities portion will be focused at Alameda Park, because Taylor said it is the area with the highest traffic of people. The physical activities with community groups will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Lunch and Play program starts June 5 and runs through Aug. 11. More details and information can be found on the school district’s Facebook page.

Lunches will be served 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following parks: Alameda Park, Bicentennial Park, Caldwell Park, Hawthorne Park, Raymond Park, Lower Ross Park, OK Ward Park (Brooklyn’s Playground) and New Horizon Center.

Kids age 19 and under eat free. Adults can buy a lunch for $4.

There will also be a kickoff event for the program on June 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Caldwell Park.

Here is the menu of what food will be served on which days:

Monday: Yellowstone calzone or ham/turkey sandwich
Includes apple slices with peanut butter cup, juice and milk

Tuesday: Chubbuck chicken nuggets or ham/turkey sandwich
Includes grape tomatoes, peach cup and milk

Wednesday: Bannock burger or ham/turkey sandwich
Includes sliced cucumbers, juice and milk

Thursday: Hot ham & cheese ciabatta or jamwich
Includes cheestick, baby carrots, applesauce cup and milk

Friday: Portneuf chicken sandwich or ham/turkey sandwich
Includes pear cup, juice and milk

Questions can be directed to the food services coordinator at 208-235-3208.