OREANDA-NEWS. November 17, 2016. More than 14,500 students, teachers and staff members from 29 participating schools competed to win cash prizes during the semiannual Fire Up Your Feet Fall Activity Challenge, which encourages physical activity and wellness at school.

During the month of October, schools throughout the state logged more than 391,647,547 minutes and 859,058 miles of physical activity — walking, biking, jogging, surfing and more — using the online Fire Up Your Feet Activity Tracker.

Eleven schools on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island were awarded a combined \\$7,000, which can be used to fund the purchase of physical activity and sports equipment or support wellness initiatives on campus. Haiku Elementary School on Maui, a two-time winner that received \\$2,500 for its participation in the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 challenges, used its funds to hold a community Wellness Day with a color run, dancing, yoga, smoothie making and more.

The following schools received awards for their participation in the Fall 2016 challenge:

“By running outdoors, biking, swimming or doing other fun activities, keiki can win prizes for their school while staying healthy and active,” said Mary Ann Barnes, RN, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Hawaii Region. “When children learn the importance of physical fitness and nutrition at a young age, they’re more likely to develop lifelong healthy habits that reduce their risk of obesity and chronic diseases.”

Fire Up Your Feet is a national, ongoing program launched in 2013 as part of Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Schools campaign. Any K–8 public, private or charter school in Hawaii is welcome to participate in activity challenges held in the spring and fall school semesters.

Through the Fire Up Your Feet program, Kaiser Permanente and Safe Routes to School have awarded more than \\$44,000 to participating schools in Hawaii and \\$520,000 nationwide. To learn more about Fire Up Your Feet or to sign up for the next challenge, taking place in the spring of 2017, visit fireupyourfeet.org.

About Fire Up Your Feet
Fire Up Your Feet is a core program of Safe Routes to School National Partnership, available to any elementary or middle school (grades K-8) nationally. Made possible through funding from the Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation, the program offers free resources including an online activity tracker, and a school fundraising organizer, all aimed at increasing physical activity before, during and after school for students, parents, staff and teachers. The National PTA is actively partnering to encourage family engagement to support both child and family health.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership was founded in 2005 and works to advance safe walking and bicycling to and from school and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities.

About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years, with physicians who are members of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty physician group practice in the state of Hawaii. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information. Become a fan of good health with Kaiser Permanente Hawaii: Like our page at Facebook.com/KPHawaii and follow @KPHawaii on Twitter.