Report from the Colorado State Capitol, April 26, 2016
Congratulations, ShFat That! Kids and Indian Ridge Elementary School!
Living Closer Foundation and 78 fifth grade students from Indian Ridge Elementary School, together with teachers and parents were special guests at the second regular session of the Seventh General Assembly of the State of Colorado at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 26, 2016.
The children advocated in support of House Joint Resolution 16-1019 for a vote to designate May 2, 2016 as COLORADO CHILDREN’S HEALTH DAY. This resolution was sponsored in the House by Representative Rhonda Fields, and in the Senate by Senator Jack Tate.
Representative Fields, welcomed the ShFat That Kids to the General Assembly and highlighted the three years of collaborative work and advocacy that's gone into this resolution to promote the health of Colorado children. She introduced Indian Ridge principal Matt McDonald and Dr. Richard Johnson, sugar science expert, and thanked everyone who has contributed to this initiative. Representative Fields asked all 78 students to stand up and be acknowledged during the Assembly and they were given a round of applause for the hard work they’ve done.
Even Skippy the Super Roo attended the Assembly! This is possibly the first time a kangaroo has ever attended a General Assembly at the State Capitol of Colorado!
Together with the students, we presented our ShFat That Kid video to the Assembly , sharing the ShFat That message that 1 in 3 children are in danger of developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetime and 1 in 4 are already struggling with being overweight or obese.
We asked the Representatives to help all children in our state to become ShFat That Kids by: drinking lots of water instead of juices and sugary drinks; reducing or eliminating foods high in sugar; playing outside every day; and finding an advocate in their school or community to take action for children's health.
We are thrilled to report that, as in 2015, the Resolution passed in the House with flying colors! It was read in the Senate on 05/02/2016, and can be viewed here - HRJ16-1019.
After the vote, we made a special appearance at the meeting of the Cherry Creek Community Legislative Network (CCCLN) in the Supreme Court Chambers at the Capitol. Twenty two students presented our ShFat That message to representatives of the school district and invited Superintendent Dr. Harry Bull to the front of the room to participate in our demonstration of how 10, 20, or even 30 or more teaspoons of sugar can be hidden in the beverages we drink.
During our morning at the Capitol, we were lucky to be introduced to many new friends of the ShFat That Initiative including Lieutenant Governor Joseph Garcia. We had fun doing the Skippy Dance on the Capitol lawn with Rep Rhonda Fields and Sen Jack Tate during an unexpected fire drill!
We are so proud of the entire 5th grade from Indian Ridge Elementary. We had several legislators approach the children with kudos for their hard work and commented on how attentive and respectful they were during the morning Assembly!
Note: The resolution was modified in the Senate, went back to the House, and was passed on April 29, 2016!
Look at the write up on the Cherry Creek School District Website - Cherry Creek Schools Day at the Capitol promotes learning and involvement.