By Anna Skinner
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade at West Clay Elementary School recently danced their way through activities that highlighted the importance of nutrition and exercise.
Jump With Jill, a traveling rock tour designed for kids and sponsored by Meijer, performed with Laura Brown as “Jill” and Nick Greene as “DJ” at the school on March 31.
“They’re doing a nutrition rock and roll show. It’s all rock and roll music about healthy foods and exercise,” said Lindsay Guest, the organizer of the event and a wellness teacher at the school. “It helps kids make healthy choice and shows them how to incorporate healthy choices into their life.”
Brown had the kids up and moving to pop hits to start the hour-long show.
“I love music and I love food, so I put my two favorite things together to create the greatest rock and roll show you will ever see,” Brown told the kids.
The tour went to 10 local schools, including two other Carmel schools, Towne Meadow Elementary and Orchard Park Elementary.
Jump With Jill was able to tour 25 schools this spring at no cost to the schools. Funding was provided through participating produce suppliers last fall.
“It’s fun to learn all the new dance moves and stuff,” said fifth grader Paige Sherman at the event. “It’s always good to be healthy and I like to play sports and everything.”
To date, Brown has performed the show 260 times for approximately 90,000 kids. Brown graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in kinesiology and health. She obtained her master’s degree in exercise from Michigan State University.
“Healthy foods help grow the kids’ brains and help them academically and throughout their entire life,” Guest said.
