In September 2006, the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division launched a new fitness program, Commit 2B Fit™ - It Starts in Parks, to encourage people of all ages to get active.

This campaign is designed to create public awareness that physical activity, which is available through parks and recreation facilities and programs, leads to a healthier lifestyle and overall improved wellness.

According to the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division, park officials feel it is the right time to encourage all County residents to become more responsible for their own health, recognizing that only 27 percent of adults have been advised by a doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional to be more physically active. Children can also benefit from regular exercise. It is widely known that regular physical activity improves health by:

• controlling weight
• lowering blood pressure
• reducing the risk of many diseases
• promoting psychological well-being

Commit 2B Fit!™ – It Starts in Parks
 Rewards Card Program
Final Winner Is Priceless

Participating in the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division’s Summer Recreation Program at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park – free. Playing flag football with the other 49 participants – free. Filling out a Commit 2B Fit!™-It Starts in Parks Rewards Card – free. Seeing the look on 8-year-old Jaylan’s face when he’s learned he won the quarterly prize – priceless!

And so it was when grandmother Angela Birch brought her grandson Jaylan Blackmon to Delevoe Park on November 6 when he found out his Commit 2B Fit!™-It Starts in Parks Rewards Card was picked in the final quarterly drawing from a pool of more than 1,600 entries. The prize – a shiny-blue, 20-inch Huffy Rockit, complete with helmet, bell, lock, motion lights, and air pump – lit up the face of the Broward Estates Elementary third grader.

This was Jaylan’s first time participating in the free, supervised Summer Recreation Program, which is offered at all six Broward County neighborhood parks and is open to ages 6 through 17. According to Ms. Birch, Jaylan enjoyed the program so much he didn’t want to miss a day, and for her, it was a lifesaver.

Jaylan likes playing football so much he wants to become a pro running back for the New York Giants when he grows up. If he can’t do that, however, his second choice is to become a pediatrician because, he says, “I want to help the kids.” The A and B student’s favorite subject is math, learning addition, subtraction, and times tables. He uses his knowledge in football: “I can look at the score and figure out how many points we need to win the game.”

Jaylan plans on returning to Delevoe Park next year to participate in the Summer Recreation Program again. The park will still emphasize the importance of fitness to the kids, although the Commit 2B Fit!™-It Starts in Parks Rewards Card program has been put on hold due to budget restraints. This was, however, the perfect way to end the rewards program with such a deserving child as Jaylan.