Celtics Help YMCA’s Fit to Win Program

Former Celtic Legend Leon Powe huddles with East Boston YMCA youth as he helps kick off the Y's Fit to Win program that will teach kids here steps for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle over the next four weeks.

Former Celtic Legend Leon Powe huddles with East Boston YMCA youth as he helps kick off the Y’s Fit to Win program that will teach kids here steps for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle over the next four weeks.

Former Boston Celtics Stars Leon Powe and Dana Barros were on hand last Thursday evening at the East Boston YMCA’s Ashley Street location to help kick off a new program sponsored by the Celtics and Sun Life Financial.

The two Celtics legends, along with two Celtics Dancers taught over 30 YMCA youth fun and easy steps for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle as part of the Fit to Win program.

Powe and Barros and the two dancers lead the YMCA youth in group exercise demonstrations and engage in conversations regarding healthy habits. Powe talked to the kids about his love for video games but cautioned that it could lead to laziness. He said he would do all his practices, exercises and other training and videos games became a reward for being healthy. Barros on the other hand said he use to love to eat a cheeseburger before every game when he was young. However, he found that he would run out of steam half way through the game. His mother then started packing him fruits and veggies to eat before the game and at half time and he found his production on the court and stamina went up.

The “Draft Day” event marks the start of the East Boston YMCA’s four week program, and youth participants will learn how they could earn Celtics-themed prizes and event opportunities for the YMCA.

The East Boston YMCA is one of three participating YMCA of Greater Boston locations. The Celtics and Sun Life Financial also brought the Fit to Win program to the Thomas M. Menino YMCA in January and Roxbury YMCA in April.

“Here at the East Boston Y we are proud to partner with Sun Life Financial and the Celtics to launch their Fit to Win program within our after-school,” said East Boston Y Executive Director Ann-Margaret Gutierrez. “Fit to Win teaches children fun and easy steps for maintaining an active lifestyle. Programs such as these help us create awareness, promote proper nutrition and exercise which can lead to better health and wellness in our communities.

The Boston Celtics and Sun Life Financial’s Fit to Win program is aimed at improving the health and well-being of young people throughout the city of Boston, as well as promoting diabetes education. The program harnesses Bostonian’s love for the green team, and provides youth with a fun way to learn about maintaining a healthy lifestyle by utilizing activity tracking sheets that focus on the participants’ fitness and health goals.

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