Over 700 Children With Asthma To Attend Healthy Hoops Program

Children With Asthma

Healthy Hoops program, an asthma education and management program, will kick off its fifth year of helping to make a difference in the lives of local, underserved children with asthma.

The program uses basketball as a vehicle to teach children and their families how to manage asthma through appropriate medication usage, proper nutrition and monitored exercise and recreational activities. It also aims at decreasing childhood obesity and increasing cardiovascular activity, as they relate to asthma.

Healthy Hoops was created in 2002, by Keystone Mercy Health Plan, in collaboration with the Healthy Hoops Coalition, which members include AstraZeneca, Crozer-Keystone Health System, local basketball coaches and health organizations. The 2007 Kick-Off event will include hands-on asthma education for children and their families, as well as basketball coaching sessions from local basketball legends. The asthma education component of the program will include health assessments, spirometry screenings (to test lung capacity), asthma, cardiovascular, nutrition and parent education sessions.

Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of asthma in the nation and is the second worst city in America for asthma sufferers to live.

The following individuals will participate in this year's kick off:

-- Daniel Hilferty, president & CEO, Keystone Mercy Health Plan

-- Sonny Hill, The Sonny Hill Basketball League, advisor to Philadelphia 76ers

-- Speedy Morris, basketball coach, St. Joseph's Preparatory High School, and former basketball coach, LaSalle University

-- Brian Daly, basketball coach, "All Ball!" and Monsignor Bonner High School

-- Bill Fox, former basketball coach, Father Judge High School

-- Jimmy Baker, former ABA professional basketball player, Kentucky Colonels

-- Hip Hop, the Philadelphia 76ers mascot

source:www.emaxhealth.com