MURRAY, KY (2/22/12) – Murray In Motion is hosting a free “Try-Athon” on Mar. 10, 2012 from 10 a.m. to noon at Racer Arena on the Murray State University campus. The Try-Athon will provide children and families the opportunity to “TRY” different activities in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere. Activities include football, soccer, disc golf, yoga, gymnastics, badminton, running and more. There will be prizes and giveaways. All residents of Calloway County are invited.
Murray In Motion is a collaborative effort of several organizations in Calloway County whose mission is to promote physical activity, educate on a variety of health issues and increase awareness of healthy community resources. The 2012 strategic initiative of Murray In Motion is to serve as a clearing house and networking resource for all healthy activities in the community.
In the past, Murray In Motion has hosted events such as the 2008 and 2009 Fitness Festivals where more than 800 participants completed health screenings and other healthy activities each year. Murray In Motion has also hosted two “Second Sunday” events which taught more than 200 family members how to increase physical activity in fun and productive ways, such as raking leaves. Amelia Dodd with the Murray State University Wellness and Therapeutic Sciences department was one of the facilitators of the Murray in Motion initiative in 2007. During the first few years, Murray In Motion concentrated on educating residents about health issues, but now the focus has changed.
“There are so many opportunities for families to improve their health and get active, but many of our residents don’t know how to access that information,” said Amy Ferguson, Health Educator for the Calloway County Health Department and Chairperson of Murray In Motion. “Our goal is to establish a web-site that is easy to navigate in which any organization can list their healthy community activities.”
Murray In Motion is also working closely with the Murray Calloway County Parks department.
“The parks department just seems to be a natural hub for compiling and disseminating information to the community about all the programs, resources, and opportunities available community-wide that promote health,” Ferguson said.
The Murray In Motion web site is under construction with the help of the Technology Students at Murray Middle School. Once up and active, organizations can log in and place their activities on a central community calendar.
“We wanted a media resource that organizations can use to not only list their activities, but also see what other organizations are doing in the community. This should help with coordination of services and planning,” said Keena Miller, Director of Health and Wellness at Murray Hospital and member of the Murray In Motion marketing committee.
According to Miller, it will also make it easier for Calloway County residents to identify activities in which to participate, by accessing one web-site. Residents can quickly identify healthy activities by looking for the Murray In Motion logo.
Calloway County organizations involved in the Murray In Motion initiative include: Calloway County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Calloway County Extension Office, Calloway County Health Center, Calloway County Family Resource Center, City of Murray, Murray Calloway County Chamber of Commerce, Murray-Calloway County Hospital, Murray Calloway Parks Department, Murray Independent Schools, Murray State University, and the USDA Forest Service. For more information visit the Murray in Motion Facebook page, the Murray In Motion website: www.MurrayInMotion.com or call 762-1830.
SurfKY News
Information provided by Kyser Lough
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