Riverside’s Move 4 Mana Challenge had a very successful launch for the 2019/2020 school year. The Riverside community and UBC’s Human Kinetics Program saved 527 children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. By being active and increasing their physical activity, students and staff succeeded in making a difference for these children in Somalia.
The Move 4 Mana assembly inspired many students and staff at the school to become more active and help save the lives of these severely malnourished children. Guest speakers such as Maria Martini, Mark Moore, Troy Hickerson, and Stacia Vong-Hogeterp shared personal stories and the importance of participating in this challenge. A special performance by the 14-year-old singer, Tyson Venegas, touched the hearts of many individuals in the audience. This assembly encouraged students and staff to put all their effort into this 30-day challenge and become invested in this cause.
In the following weeks, Move 4 Mana activities were being held at lunch to encourage students and staff to increase their physical activity. These events included a lacrosse shoot-out with team members from the Vancouver Warriors, a personal soccer trainer from the Vancouver White Caps and a hockey shoot-out with Riverside alumni Tyler Lange. Students had the opportunity to earn more Good Points and donate more RUTF packages.
Teachers such as Ms. Trisha Hubbard, Ms. Michelle Burton, Mr. Robert Mackenzie, and Ms. Melissa Jackson found ways to incorporate physical activity into their student’s learning. Hubbard, Jackson and Burton taught their students “parabola aerobics” to help them understand graphing and to promote being active in a classroom setting. Jackson also had her students do simple exercises when they completed a math problem on the whiteboards. Additionally, Mackenzie took his students for short walks around the school and did short physical activities to increase their amount of Good points.
The Move 4 Mana challenge ended on November 15 and resulted in saving the lives of 527 children. The Rapid community and UBC’s Human Kinetics Program worked together to exceed their goal of saving 300 lives. Way to go Riverside!
On November 18, the Move 4 Mana team hosted an awards assembly at lunch in the cafeteria, for students and teachers who participated in the challenge. Awards such as “Top Class”, “Most Improve Class”, “Most Inspirational Student”, “Top Student” and “Top Teacher” were presented to Mr. Jeremy Neufeld’s B-block class, Ms. Brenda Yorke’s B-block class, Riverside grade 11 student Jason Son, Riverside grade 12 student Scott Helmhold, and Neufeld. Many students also received prizes such as a flat screen tv, a Nintendo switch, and gift cards.
Special thanks to Ms. Claudia Durand, Mr. Mike Schoenhals, Mr. Cary Brett, and the Move 4 Mana Team for making this accomplishment possible!
