Steelheads team with Walmart, St. Luke's on health initiative

(Boise, ID) ? The Idaho Steelheads, in conjunction with St. Luke?s Children?s Hospital and with the generous support of the Walmart Foundation, have established the ?Be Hip, Get Fit, Play Hockey? program. The three entities will work together on the program, which will go into schools in both the Treasure Valley and Magic Valley with a hands-on message of living better through healthier food choices and physical activity. ?The ?Be Hip, Get Fit, Play Hockey? initiative fits perfectly with Walmart?s goals to help everyone in our community live better,? said Dawn Vezzoso, Community Involvement Coordinator for Walmart. ?We couldn?t be happier to be a part of a program that will help so many Idaho children and schools!? A component of the program is a fun, interactive game of floor hockey between select Steelheads players and children at the chosen school. Then, after the game, the full set of floor hockey equipment will be left at the school in an effort to promote healthy exercise and activity. ?We?re aware of what is going on around us, we see that good choices when it comes to diet and activity are critical,? Steelheads President Eric Trapp said. ?Our players, with the help of St. Luke?s and the Walmart Foundation, are in a unique position to stress the importance of good choices to kids and also help the schools with sports equipment during a time of educational budget cuts.? There is no cost to the schools for the player appearance or the floor hockey equipment. ?Be Hip, Get Fit, Play Hockey? healthy living information will be given to each participant to take home as well to share important tips with their families, extending healthy lifestyles into their homes. ?Childhood obesity is the number one health concern facing our children today. Achieving St. Luke?s mission to ?improve the health of people in our region? depends heavily upon crucial partnerships within our community to identify and tackle our most impactful health care issues such as obesity and living a healthy lifestyle, ? said Dr. Gregory Janos, the Medical Executive Director of St. Luke?s Children?s Hospital. ?St. Luke?s Children?s Hospital is very excited to be a part of the ?Be Fit, Be Hip, Play Hockey? program.? Steelhead Season-Ticket Holders get six games FREE when they sign up for full-season packages. Pro-rated plans for the remaining 35 home games are still available, beginning at less than $275 per seat. Partial-season plans are also available, with the home-opener coming on October 15 against the Utah Grizzlies. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 for more information.