America and obesity go hand and hand. Sonia Wilks and the student-run Torch Club are tackling obesity, one Boys and Girls Club at a time.
The Torch Club is a program run by the children of the Boys and Girls Clubs across the nation to help with community issues. The program revolves around giving back to their community.
Recently, Wilks got involved with the Drop the Pounds project developed by Torch Club. Drop the Pounds is an eight-week project to help the youth of New Hampshire lead a healthier lifestyle. The project started with two clubs, Concord and Allenstown/Suncook, standing on a “zero waste” truck scale to get their combined weight. The other clubs gave Concord their estimated weight to be combined into a final weight.
With the help of the surrounding clubs (Warner, Hopkinton, and Allenstown/Suncook) the club’s goal is to lose as much weight as they can by Jan. 21. Staples, which partnered with the New Hampshire clubs, will donate a dollar for every pound that is lost, while some of the counselors of the New Hampshire clubs are also donating an additional dollar for every pound. All the money was originally was going the C.H.A.D foundation but, now the money is going to a club member in need.
Some of the activities of the Drop the Pounds project include kickball, yoga, wiffle ball, Wii games and just about anything to keep the kids moving and interested in the cause.
“This is a great program for the club because it’s really fun,” Wilks explained. “The activities were all voted on by the kids, so it’s all their favorite activities that go on here at the club. It’s all going toward a great cause: a healthier lifestyle for the youth of New Hampshire.”
(For more information about the Concord Boys and Girls Club, call 224-1061 or visit concordkids.org.)
