St. Vincent’s volunteers at CES
Published 12:31 pm Thursday, December 7, 2017
Candace Loftis gets ready to hula hoop with the Clanton Elementary students. (JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
Candace Loftis demonstrates how to twirl a hula hoop on her arm. (JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
Desiree Webster cheers on a CES student as they hula hoop. (JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
Desiree Webster catches her hula hoop to keep it from falling. (JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
Jessica Estrada and Candace Loftis interact with students at CES. (JOYANNA LOVE/ ADVERTISER)
By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer
St. Vincent’s Heath System employees joined Clanton Elementary School students for physical education classes on Dec. 6.
Each year, the health system selects a school in each area it serves to volunteer at and collects equipment for the physical education classes to use.
On Dec. 6, representatives from St. Vincent’s Chilton and St. Vincent’s Heath System volunteered with each of the classes.
“We are definitely in the business of promoting health and fitness in the community,” Jessica Estrada with St. Vincent’s Heath System said.
She said the hope was that by volunteering in school physical education classes, they would be able to help encourage students to have good health and fitness habits that prevent chronic illnesses later in life.
Activities scheduled by gym teachers Shelia Speaks and Selene Bernal included a Zumba style routine, trampolines, hopscotch, hula hoops, balance boards and more.
Candice Loftis stayed at the school most of the day and was able to interact with multiple classes.
This is the second year for St. Vincent’s Chilton employees to be involved in the initiative.
“I got to do this last year and have been looking forward to it all year,” Desiree Webster, Hispanic outreach with St. Vincent’s, said.
She said many of the children ask her to say something in Spanish when they realize she is bilingual. Webster said at some schools it also opens opportunities to talk about careers involving Spanish.
“I wanted to participate because I am really happy to be a part of St. Vincent’s, and I love children,” Loftis said.
Estrada said equipment was being collected for CES and would be delivered to the school on Dec. 13. Items being collected included mini footballs, scooter boards, small soccer balls, a ring toss set, a soccer goal, air pump needles, iTunes gift cards and batteries.
Each class welcomed the St. Vincent’s staff members and thanked them for coming.
