NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Junior League of Orange County, Calif., (JLOCC) is holding a Kids in the Kitchen event, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 18, to teach good nutrition and healthy habits to close to 100 5th grade students at the Hazard Elementary School, 4218 Hazard Ave., Santa Ana.
Kids in the Kitchen Chair Renee Polk and 25 JLOCC committee members have worked with school principal Nanci Cole to set up the morning's plans. Four to six stations will offer activities that range from 15 minutes to 20 minutes each for approximately 15 to 20 kids per group. Topics will include nutrition, portion control, and physical fitness.
True Food Kitchen Chef Matthew Tobin will teach the basics of good nutrition and lead an interactive game from 8:30 - 9: 25 a.m. At the small-group stations, the youngsters will make Scooter Snacks, after-school treats that are nutritious and fun (http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Scooter-Snacks) and focus on portion control (details available at webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide and choosemyplate.gov/downloads/mini_poster_English_final.pdf) .
The UCI Women's Soccer team will participate in outdoor activities starting at 9:35 a.m., and continuing until 11:30. In addition, representatives of the United Studios of Self Defense will demonstrate Martial Arts & Self Defense.
Sponsors for the event include TK Burger, Target, Trader Joes, True Food Kitchen and the California Avocado Commission.
The Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen is an association-wide initiative of The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) designed to help communities address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition. The program was launched in 2006 by Junior Leagues in over 225 communities. By joining together to make an impact on the future health of our youth, Junior Leagues are committed to empowering today's children to make choices that help them lead healthy lives. The initiative illustrates the power of voluntarism to address community problems on both the grassroots and international levels.
Key to the impact of the initiative is the Kids in the Kitchen website, which includes fitness and nutrition tips from Kids in the Kitchen program partners such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), American Dietetic Association (ADA), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and many more. The Kids in the Kitchen website also includes a virtual recipe collection from celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs, celebrity moms and nutrition experts, designed to teach young children healthy eating habits at an early age. These recipes are available in electronic and downloadable formats on the website, http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org.
About the Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc.
The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. JLOCC has contributed to Orange County by helping found organizations such as Orangewood Children's Home and the Volunteer Center of Orange County. As a solely educational and charitable organization, the JLOCC's trained volunteers actively support the community through collaboration with organizations that promote and support the health, safety and education of women and children. A 501(c)(3) organization, the JLOCC reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins. Originally founded in 1956 as the Newport Harbor Service League, the JLOCC is a member organization of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. To learn more about the JLOCC, call (949) 261-0823 or visit www.jlocc.org.
Funds raised annually by the JLOCC directly impact the community through collaborative projects with partner organizations and support JLOCC's mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community. This year's projects include the Olive Crest Kinship Support Services Program; Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack Program; Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Reading Program; Crittenton Services Connect Program; Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Emancipated Youth Program; Impact Orange County; and Bear Hugs, a JLOCC project supporting emancipated teens in Orange County.