Manasota Florida KidCare Coaltion "knocks it out of the park" with Healthy Kids Field Day event

America's Promise Alliance's Debbie Lister presents the "100 Best Communities for Young People" award to AmeriCorps*VISTA member Anyelle "Ellie" De Leon.

AmeriCorps*VISTA member Nina Wiley (serving at the Suncoast Center for Independent Living) and our VISTA leader Joyce Whitworth greeted guests as they arrived.

VISTA member Emily Dunlap, stationed at the Healthy Teens Coalition, and FKC Coalition member VISTA Liz Sibell-Field (not pictured) quizzed teens and adults "so you want to be a sexpert?"

Manatee County Neighborhood Services representative Sherry Weydert greeted attendees and let them know about what Neighborhood Services provides to the community.

FKC Coalition member Cathy Joyce made sure the Manatee County Health Department was well represented. Here, the WIC program shared their services.

Coalition member Linda Johnson (left) distributed ACCESS Florida information.

Dental services provided by Dr. Andrew Cutler shared information.

FKC Coaltion member from Manatee Glens was on site.

There was even a nutrition puppet show for all to enjoy.

Here is another table of information provided by FKC member Cathy Joyce and the Health Department.

Thanks to FKC member Becky Bouchard and Manatee Memorial Hospital, volunteers gave Beanie Babies as prizes for correct answers about nutrition.

Gerber provided healthy snacks for toddlers, thanks again to FKC Coalition Manatee Memorial Hospital.

The Health Department provided healthy snacks of yogurt, honey and fruit for everyone. The snacks are very easy to make!

Sharon Carlson of the Health Department fitted youngsters with bike helmets.

Here's Sharon with her 200 bike helmets before the event began.

In August 2010, soon after attending the VISTA pre-service orientation in Atlanta and during her first month of service, AmeriCorps*VISTA member Anyelle "Ellie" De Leon talked about putting together a family event for children and their families. (The idea "brewed" in the back of her mind for months.)

Ellie is the Florida KidCare "Boots on The Ground" outreach coordinator for Manatee County. Working closely with the Florida Covering Kids initiative and stationed with The Whole Child-Manatee project, she has seen met hundreds of working families who cannot afford health insurance for their children. (Approximately 20% of the children living in our community do not have medical insurance.)

One of the many things that she has done in just a very short time is to take the fledgling Manasota Florida KidCare Coalition and make it a full-functioning entity with active members, by-laws and website. Working together, the group of service providers is getting the word out about affordable Florida KidCare insurance.

In October, when she was approached by Volunteer Manatee's executive director Adraine McKell about using a $1000.00 gift from America's Promise for a child-centered event, she "jumped" at the idea. (For the fourth year, Volunteer Manatee had made application for and received one of the "100 Best Communities for Young People" by ING awards.)

Ellie brought the "Healthy Kids Field Day" idea to the coalition and the group agreed that this was an event that could be held in an area of Manatee County that did not see too many family events like this one.

The new Manatee Family YMCA branch in Parrish hosted the event inside (and outside) of their beautiful facility. With the $1000.00, another gift from one of the FKC insurance underwriters, a free bounce house and plenty of volunteer spirit, the event took place on Saturday, January 22.

WOW! Ellie, your vision became a grand reality. Thanks America's Promise Alliance and FKC friends.