FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2013
MEDIA CONTACTS: Collin Nash, Ryan Mulholland and Sam Marksheid | (516) 869-7794
Town & Early Years Institute Ask Children to Turn off Screens and Turn on Life
North Hempstead, NY– Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Councilwoman Viviana Russell, and the Town Board recently announced that they will sponsor the Early Years Institute’s Annual Screen-Free Week.
Screen-Free Week is a national celebration that lasts between April 29th and May 5th during which children are encouraged to unplug from television and computer screens and turn on life by playing, getting outdoors, and engaging in activities that promote a healthier lifestyle and literacy.
The Town of North Hempstead’s Yes We Can Center will be hosting fun and exciting programs for children:
- Monday, April 29th- 6:30pm-8:00pm: Craft Night
- Tuesday, April 30th- 6:30pm-8:00pm: Ping Pong Tournament
- Wednesday, May 1st- 6:30pm-8:00pm: Intergenerational Game Night
This is where children and seniors will come together to play bingo, and board games together. The Project Independence radio show will also be taped which airs Fridays from 10am to 12pm on WCWP 88.1FM. Project Independence is North Hempstead’s “aging in place” initiative that assists and enables aging residents of the Town to remain in their own homes and familiar surroundings as they grow older.
“When we first decided to build the ‘Yes We Can’ Community Center, one of our goals was to provide the children of our community a place where they can take part in athletic activity, educate themselves, and socialize with others,” said Supervisor Kaiman. “The Screen-Free week program allows them to do just that.”
Councilwoman Russell echoed that thought and said, “It is very important that all year-long we make an effort to get our children away from screens, and into physical and social activity. This event is a great step in the right direction of getting that done.”
“We are so grateful to have a Town Supervisor who has the courage and vision to address the growing problem of children’s overuse of screens,” said Dana E. Friedman, president of The Early Years Institute. “Supervisor Kaiman and Councilwoman Viviana Russell are making a tremendous difference in the lives of children who will be plugged in less often and instead engaged in activities that are more beneficial to their healthy development and success in school.”
Children can take the pledge by logging on to www.eyi.org/screenfree. As an incentive, all those who take the pledge will be entered into a drawing for four yearly memberships to the Yes We Can Community Center. The prize package includes two adult memberships, which grant the winner full use of the state of the art fitness center, and two child memberships.
For more information on these events, please call 311 or (516) 869-6311.