2018 Let's Move STL Flash Mob - May 4, 2018

Saint Louis Public Schools Students Continue to Combat Obesity With 4^th Annual Flash Mob Dance

ST. LOUIS (April 30, 2018) – Saint Louis Public School (SLPS) students, staff, and faculty continue to take steps to improve their health and combat obesity. This year, the annual Let’s Move! STL flash mob event has grown to include not only more Missourians but individuals from other states (IL, IA, KS, and NE). The expansion comes from a lot of hard work and the addition of a new collaborating health-minded organization, Aetna. This year, the fourth Annual Let’s Move! STL Move Your Body Flash Mob will be held at Ford Plaza in Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. The event is Friday, May 4th, 2018 from 9:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. The entire metropolitan community is invited to join in the fun.

Students, staff, and faculty have been dusting off their dancing shoes from the past year and are ready to perform not one, not two, but three dance routines. They will perform Beyoncé’s “Move Your Body” routine, the “Gimme 5” dance to Kids Bop “Uptown Funk,” and the newly choreographed “Dynamite” routine. The event is sponsored by Let's Move! STL, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative, in partnership with SLPS, the City of St. Louis Department of Health, BJC School Outreach and Youth Development (BJCSOYD), and Aetna. This innovative approach to increasing physical activity is catching on at the national level; SHAPE America- Society of Health and Physical Educators will be sharing flash mob highlights and lessons learned on their website. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, esteemed and well-respected American Olympian, will be the guest of honor, and will address the participants about the power of hard work and determination.

Last year’s flash mob was a huge success statewide, with more than 52,000 students, teachers, and community partners spending the morning engaged in fun and physical activity. The event will also include a Stars Wars themed area with characters and selfie stations aligned to the adapted phrase “May the 4^th be with you,” a fun play on the traditional Star Wars phrase “May the force be with you.” The morning will be focused on supporting positive, mindful, and inspirational stewards of health. 

“The Flash Mob is an example of an amazing collaboration between the SLPS school district and the community. By partnering with the City of St. Louis, BJCSOYD, Aetna, and the Missouri Foundation for Health, we will provide SLPS students, as well as students across Missouri and the nation, the opportunity to experience an event that has the capacity of enhancing physical fitness and well-being, while having fun” said Leanne White, project director for Saint Louis Public Schools.

“Having fun while being active is important to encourage life-long, healthy habits. The planning and practice that prepare participants for this event are great ways to get people moving together and build community” said Erica Oliver, a lead community health partner with BJC School Outreach and Youth Development.

Additionally, “Let’s Move! STL enjoys being a part of this exciting movement that has grown to impact so many families. The fact that there continues to be increased interest and growing excitement around improving the health and physical activity of students, staff, and faculty is inspirational. Families, communities, and organizations are getting on board to get healthy and have fun in the process, a win for the body, mind, and soul” said Melissa Ramel, the Let’s Move! STL coordinator for the City of St. Louis Department of Health. “The partnerships that have been created from this annual event continue to blossom and prove vital to making the entire St. Louis community healthier.” 

For more information about the flash mob on May 4, 2018, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative or Let’s Move! STL, please contact:

M. Leanne White, Project Director – Saint Louis Public Schools

Margaret.White@slps.org

314-345-4403

 

Melissa Ramel, Let’s Move! STL Coordinator – City of St. Louis Department of Health

ramelm@stlouis-mo.gov

314-657-1571

 

Erica Oliver, Community Health Partner – BJC School Outreach and Youth Development

Erica.Oliver@bjc.org

314-286-0539

 

About Healthy Schools Healthy Communities

Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) empowers communities to build a healthier future for children and families across Missouri. An initiative of Missouri Foundation for Health, HSHC brings together schools, community organizations, businesses, parents, and residents to identify and push for changes that increase access to healthy food and physical activity where our kids live, learn and play. St. Louis Public Schools and BJC School Outreach and Youth Development are co-leading the HSHC initiative in the City of St. Louis, currently targeting the Carr Square, Carondelet and Greater Ville communities.

About Let’s Move! STL

Let’s Move! STL is a comprehensive initiative to combat and solve the challenge of obesity and diseases related to poor diet and fitness by leveraging community resources, coordinating partnerships and engaging the community towards the goal of zero obesity by 2020. The City of St. Louis Department of Health is the lead coordinating agency for Let’s Move! STL.

About Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS)

Saint Louis Public Schools has been preparing students for a bright future since 1858. The District serves approximately 23,000 children in preschool through grade 12. With nearly 70 schools, including Magnet and Choice schools, SLPS has a school to fit every child’s needs. For more information about SLPS, visit the District’s website at www.slps.org or follow the District on Twitter, InstagramLinkedIn or Facebook.

About BJC School Outreach and Youth Development

BJC School Outreach and Youth Development, a division of BJC HealthCare, provides health prevention education and career exploration opportunities for students. It offers programs to equip young people with the information and skills they need to become health literate, increase academic performance and reduce high-risk behavior.