FOR RELEASE: November 20, 2003
CONTACT: Pamela Williams
Office of Communications
405/271-5601

“Families on the Move” Celebrate Family Week November 23-29

Gov. Brad Henry has proclaimed Nov. 23-29 as Family Week Celebration, in Oklahoma. The week recognizes that strong families are the center of strong communities. Health officials are using the theme “Families on the Move” to encourage families to participate in physical activities together as part of an overall focus on the importance of the family and the need for all Oklahomans to appreciate and support families.

The following are some suggestions by the Oklahoma Family Resource Coalition and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Child Guidance Service to keep your family “on the move”:

• Plan a physical activity each day during Family Week.
• Go for a ride on bikes, tricycles, big wheels, scooters or strollers.
• Play balancing games such as walking on a board, or standing on one foot, or hopping on one foot.
• Play throwing games such as throwing balls, or rocks into a creek, or bean bags into a box.
• Play other games like jump rope, kick the can, four square, hide and seek, tag, hop scotch, croquet or horseshoes and include the entire family in the games.

The Oklahoma Family Resource Coalition believes that families are the primary influences in the lives of children and support resources that help build on family strengths to insure the best possible outcomes for stronger Oklahoma families.

The Oklahoma Family Resource Coalition (OFRC) and the OSDH Child Guidance Service are sponsoring Family Week in Oklahoma and are encouraging local community participation. For more information, contact OFRC Family Week Chairperson, Donna Jones, at the Adair County Health Department, (918) 696-7292.

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