For Immediate Release
June 16, 2010
Contacts:
Kim Rymer, Volunteers of America-Minnesota, Office (952) 945-4074, Cell (612) 267-7622, Email krymer@voamn.org
Greg Bouris, Major League Baseball Players Association, (212) 826-0808, Email gbouris@mlbpa.org
Nick Punto and Kevin Slowey of the Minnesota Twins and Volunteers from the Minnesota Action Team Go To Bat for Senior Wellness
“Homerun to Health” Offers Older Adults Activities and Information for Improving and Maintaining Health
MINNEAPOLIS – Major Leaguers Nick Punto and Kevin Slowey are scheduled to join student volunteers from the Minnesota Action Team today at 12:00 noon for a baseball-themed health fair for older adults at Volunteers of America’s Park ElderCenter, 1505 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis.
Coined “Homerun to Health,” this unique event features a baseball diamond with “bases” that address various health-related topics including blood pressure management, maintaining flexibility, engaging the brain, and improving eye-hand coordination. The dugouts emphasize the importance of good nutrition, while the outfield engages both the mind and body through Nintendo Wii baseball. Seniors will be encouraged to participate in the health-related activities at each of the bases, outfield and dugouts to earn a “homerun” to health. Joining the ballplayers will be local high school students from the Minnesota Action Team, part of a national youth volunteer program administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust.
Volunteers of America’s Park ElderCenter is an innovative, multi-cultural senior community center which serves the neighboring area through a wide variety of programs and services that support and enhance the health and independence of older adults. Park ElderCenters’s current programs and services include health and nutrition programs, including senior dining; exercise classes; health screenings; presentations on assorted wellness topics; a variety of educational and cultural events; computer classes; volunteer opportunities; AA/chemical support group; mental health services day treatment; caregiver support services; social work services for Medicare, housing, financial and legal issues; as well as several culturally specific services for Hmong and Somali elders.
Administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the Action Team national youth volunteer program encourages young people throughout the United States to volunteer in their communities. Action Teams, consisting of Major League baseball players and student Team Captains, are working together in more than 145 high schools in 30 states and Puerto Rico to encourage young people to get involved in their communities by volunteering. To date, Action Teams across the country have inspired more than 25,000 high school students to help over 100,000 people in need by volunteering in their communities. The Cleveland Action Team began two years ago and manages at least four projects a year such as planting a garden, relief for Haiti and book drives.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
The Major League Baseball Players Trust partnered with Volunteers of America in 2002 to promote the nurturing and well-being of America’s children and their families. The partnership features the personal involvement of Major League baseball players and their families with a variety of programs conducted by Volunteers of America throughout the United States. Also, together they administer the Action Team, a national youth volunteer program currently inspiring the next generation of volunteers in more than 145 high schools in 30 states and Puerto Rico. For more information about the Major League Baseball Players Trust, visit www.MLBPLAYERS.com and visit the Players Trust Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/MLBPlayersTrust on YouTube. For more information on the Action Team, please send an e-mail request to ActionTeam@mlbpa.org.
VOLUNTEEERS OF AMERICA
Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through hundreds of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America helps more than 2 million people in over 400 communities. Since 1896, our ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including seniors, at-risk youth, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Our work touches the mind, body, heart-and ultimately the spirit-of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. For more information about Volunteers of America, visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org.
VOLUNTEEERS OF AMERICA - MINNESOTA
Volunteers of America-Minnesota is a nonprofit organization founded in 1896 which offers a wide variety of services to more than 28,000 children, adolescents and their families, students, older adults, persons with disabilities and special needs, and ex-offenders each year. It is one of the oldest, largest and most comprehensive human service organizations in the state and has more than 60 programs, 900 employees and 8,000 volunteers. Volunteers of America has a rich history of developing innovative, quality programs to meet emerging social issues and prides itself on sponsoring programs which are able to articulate explicitly the outcomes achieved in its program participants' lives. For more information about Volunteers of America-Minnesota, visit www.voamn.org, or call (952) 945-4000.