Harvest Kids All ACES During Worldwide Fitness Event

students helped Michigan celebrate the worldwide ACES Day on Wednesday, May 2 at 10 a.m.

ACES stands for All Children Exercise Simultaneously. The goal is to teach children the important roles that physical activity and proper nutrition play in healthy living. ACES is also a gesture of unity.

ACES is a one-day youth exercise program intended to highlight the importance of and need for youth fitness. ACES has student participants from all 50 states and 50 countries. This year, nearly 1,000 Michigan schools and programs were registered.

At Harvest, the high-energy program was led by the Jill Cooper, the school's literacy specialis who happens to be a certified Zumba instructor. Harvest physical education teacher Jamie Collins, who has been doing ACES events for 14 years, said the Cooper has taken the program a long way from the days when it was jumping jacks and laps around the blacktop track.

Gov. Rick Snyder served as ACES Honorary Chair this year to support healthy lifestyles for Michigan students and their families.

“An active lifestyle and proper nutrition provide a solid foundation for the health and success of our children,” Snyder said. “Parents can set an example by exercising regularly and eating right. Staying physically fit can be fun, especially when you do it as a family. Let’s commit to making Michigan a healthy state in 2012.

ACES in Michigan is coordinated by the Michigan Fitness Foundation and sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance. This is the 14th year of support from Farm Bureau Insurance which allows the Michigan Fitness Foundation to provide free materials to plan the event and to distribute stickers and educational newsletters for each of the estimated 400,000 participants from 1,000 schools.

ACES was founded by New Jersey physical educator Len Saunders in 1989. Saunders wanted to encourage his students to be more physically active. Today, the program reaches millions worldwide. A number of national organizations support the effort including the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, National Recreation and Parks Association, and the National Association for Health and Fitness.