Four Weeks Of Fun For Families During Shelter-In-Place
Families are invited to participate in the first “Great 2020 Couch-To-Virtual-Run Challenge!”
The challenge, which is free, runs from Saturday, March 28, to Saturday, April 25. It’s a brainstorm from two local nonprofits, County Park Friends and Live Like Coco Foundation.
The goal is for kids to move their bodies, have fun and build together toward a virtual fun run on April 25.
“Shelter-in-place calls us to come together in new and creative ways,” said Mariah Roberts, executive director of County Parks Friends. “There’s so much cooped-up energy.”
She added, “Families need support, kids need activities, and County Park Friends is so glad to be able to offer this as one way we can come together and build community.”
What is a virtual fun run?
“It just means you can join from wherever you are, and walk, run or hike at a pace and distance that feels right for you,” said Kate Pavao of Live Like Coco, which is named for her daughter, Coco Lazenby, who loved books and cats and the environment and was killed in a car accident in August 2015 at age 12.
Before the coronavirus COVID-19 struck, the Live Like Coco Foundation sponsored a 5k race for kids each April at Pinto Lake County Park to celebrate her birthday. This year, that race won’t happen because of the “shelter in place” and “social distancing” policies countywide to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The virtual run challenge is way for kids and their families to connect ━ by texting a photo of them involved in each week’s activity.
The challenge for March 28-April 3 is for kids to do jumping jacks on five out of the seven days. Then they must get parental permission to text a photo of the form to 831-419-1662 before 11 a.m. Fridays showing the challenge was met. At 1 p.m. Fridays, everyone who met the challenge will be in a drawing for prizes, which will include delivery of a pizza, a book or training videos from Santa Cruz Track Club coach Laura Chiorello.
“Hopefully kids and families will have fun doing healthy activities over the next four weeks ━ and then be part of this great virtual event celebrating our foundation’s values: Nature, literacy, health, kids, community and love,” Pavao said.
One benefit of a virtual event ━ there is no limit on participation ━ and any kid in Santa Cruz County can sign up at no charge.
Last year CHECK, Pavao, a board member of the County Park Friends, initiated a project to put little libraries in county parks, to make books more accessible to children. Students at Harbor High School’s woodshop class built the libraries, and county parks workers installed them.
After schools closed March 13 and libraries closed March 14, County Park Friends started a free hour-long virtual event called Friday in the Park, featuring a series of guests reading a storybook at noon on Facebook Live.
Pavao was the first to read.
The series has included local author Mariam Gates of “Breathe with Me” showing kids how to feel calm and has branched into music, with special guests playing guitar and steel drums.
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For information about the challenge, virtual storytimes and safe practices for being outdoors, see countyparkfriends.org.
For information on the work of Live Like Coco, see livelikecoco.com.
