Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec teams up with the Montreal Children's to fight obesity and physical inactivity amongst children Français
MONTREAL, Jan. 12, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Institut de la Statistique du Québec's data is clear: nearly one in four Quebec children between the ages of 6 and 16 are overweight, and 7% are obese. Thanks to a new partnership with the Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec, who will donate $100,000 over three years to the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, the Children's can redouble its efforts to help children from underprivileged families adopt healthy attitudes toward nutrition and physical fitness.
Eight years ago, Dr. Laurent Legault, endocrinologist and head of the Children's diabetes clinic, started, in collaboration with the CSSS du Sud-Ouest—Verdun now part of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, the MIAM project which is a community-based lifestyle modification program for children between the ages of 9 and 12 and their families. Dr. Legault says the Fondation Bon départ's support will breathe new life into the program, which has already helped 100 families. "This new partnership will help us develop the MIAM program to implement it in other regions in Quebec and reach even more underprivileged families. Thanks to this partnership, these families will also benefit from a weekend at the Base de plein air Bon départ, a camp where they'll have the opportunity to spend some time in nature."
Claire Rousse, interim general director for the Fondation Bon départ, says partnering with the Children's is in keeping with their mission. "We believe the MIAM program will benefit underprivileged children and families of all across Quebec. With the creation of a guide and by adding a theme camp at the Base de plein air Bon départ, these families will be given all the tools they need and will have an opportunity to plays sports and enjoy outdoor leisure activities on an exceptional site in the heart of nature."
The MIAM program helps families adopt healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. At an age where children are becoming aware of their bodies, they learn to develop self-esteem and a positive body image, whether or not they conform to society's standards.
After following the program, the Langlois family said their lives changed for the better: "Ever since we learned about the health issues an unhealthy diet can cause, we changed our eating habits and have incorporated more exercise into our routine. Thanks to the knowledge and information you shared with us, our quality of life, and health, have improved."
"We're happy to partner with the Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec, as it allows our doctors' initiatives to receive the support needed to benefit the community," says Marie-Josée Gariépy, the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation president.
About the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation
The mission of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation is to support excellence in patient care, teaching, and research at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC, the pediatric teaching hospital for McGill University's Faculty of Medicine. Since its inception in 1973, the Foundation has raised almost $300 million, which has been used to transform the lives of sick children through innovative research and teaching projects, and cutting-edge care. The Foundation's Best Care for Children campaign raised $105 million to help build the new Montreal Children's Hospital on the Glen site.
For more information, please visit childrenfoundation.com.
About Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec
Founded in 1990, Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec's mission is to support children and families in need, offer them a stay at an outdoor camp or help them take part in sports. The foundation contributed nearly 4.5 million dollars in 2015 to enhance the well-being of children and families in Quebec through its three programs: the Base de plein air Bon départ, a community donations program and a program to help cover the cost of sports.
For more information, please visit fondationbondepart.ca
SOURCE The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation
For the Montreal Children's:Séverine Defouni, Assistant Director, Communications, The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, 514 934-4846, ext. 29238, [email protected]; For the Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec : Kim-Tien Huynh, Director, Communications and marketing, 514 693-5899, [email protected]
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