Heartland Hope Mission, 5210 S 21st St, Omaha, NE 68107, US

We have fantastic news to share today with the entire Club family and communities we serve. During National Boys & Girls Club Week, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands held a canned food drive in an attempt to help the Omaha community and give back to those who are less fortunate. We are proud to report that today we delivered 910 pounds of non-perishable food items to the Food Bank for the Heartland. On behalf of the Food Bank, we would like to thank everyone who participated in the canned food drive over the past couple of weeks. The food we collected will be available for families, some of which we may work with on a day-to-day basis, to help meet their food needs. Club Staff please make sure your kids know what they were a part of, and how much it means to those in need. This type of collaboration is part of what makes me proud to be a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Family. Matt Patten is the Youth Development Professional overseeing the Education program at the South Omaha Unit. He was instrumental in organizing BGCM's food drive efforts and Boys & Girls Club Week events. Records are made to be broken and a Guinness World Record was likely shattered thanks to the help of kids right here in Omaha, Carter Lake and Council Bluffs. On March 22, more than 460 members from all seven Units of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands joined their peers from more than 1, 000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing "jumping jacks" - or "star jumps. While the threat of severe weather forced the event to be moved from the Omaha South High School indoors to the South Unit gymnasium, Club members and volunteers still arrived in droves to take part in this special event. As part of National Boys & Girls Club Week (March 20-26), Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) embarked on this initiative with its Clubs across the country through the organization's Triple Play program to encourages kids to eat healthier, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships. "Healthy habits are so important, especially to our youth. The positive choices they make now can have a great impact on their future, " said Ivan Gilreath, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands. "Our Triple Play program is one tool we use to help them make those choices." To break the current record, more than 278 kids needed to complete the attempt. While the official verdict will come from Guinness in a couple of weeks, all indications are that, with roughly 20, 000 taking part across the country, the record has already been broken. Nearly one-third of children and teens in the U.S. are obese or overweight, according to multiple studies. Children and adults can avoid these devastating diseases by adopting and maintaining healthy habits early on. Jumping jacks are called star jumps in some countries, because the arms, legs and head form a five-pointed star. The record is defined as, "the most people star jumping simultaneously at multiple venues for two consecutive minutes, " according to Guinness World Records. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands will join Clubs from around the country during National Boys & Girls Club Week in an attempt to break this world record. At the event, each participant will begin the Star Jumps at the exact same time as everyone else in the country and jump for two minutes nonstop. This attempt to break the world record will bring attention to the importance of young people living healthy, active lifestyles and how Boys & Girls Clubs help fill this need every day. Clubs do this through programs like Triple Play, BGCA's proven health and wellness program that encourages kids to eat healthier, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships. Community-based organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, can make a difference in the academic success of our children. Through programs that addre

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