AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership, the corporate foundation of AmeriHealth Caritas, brought the dynamic and educational Healthy Hoops program to Palm Beach County recently, holding events in collaboration with five locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County from June 13 to June 16.
The four days of activities attracted more than 1,200 Boys & Girls Clubs summer camp participants throughout the county. Staff volunteers from the AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership, the Boys & Girls Clubs and the community led the young participants in basketball clinics and provided educational and entertainment opportunities. The program educates local children on the challenges associated with asthma and how to adopt healthy lifestyles. According to Florida Department of Health 2021 data, approximately 10 percent of the state’s middle and high school students currently have asthma.
Healthy Hoops is a community-focused, hands-on program that teaches children and their families how to manage asthma and its related health conditions. Using basketball as a platform, Healthy Hoops provides a fun, active learning environment for children ages 3 to 18. At the same time, it encourages them to adopt healthy lifestyles and behaviors, helping them to better understand their asthma, reduce or eliminate chronic diseases, and take charge of their health — on and off the court.
At each of the five local events, kids learned useful health information and received hands-on basketball advice from coaches. The children also received Healthy Hoops items, including basketball hoops, t-shirts, reusable water bottles, basketballs, sports bags and basketball pumps.
Founded in 2011 by AmeriHealth Caritas as a nonprofit, AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership addresses health and healthcare disparities by expanding health promotion programs to locations across the country. These evidence-based, award-winning initiatives educate vulnerable communities about the importance of promoting healthy choices and adopting healthy lifestyles. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritaspartnership.org.
