By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The YMCA of Chilton County will host its first Healthy Kids Day on April 21.

YMCA director Lori Patterson said the event is an annual national Y program.

“It is a day to promote healthiness and wellness for everyone, but the focus is on children, so that they learn healthy lifestyle choices at an early age,” Patterson said.

The day’s festivities kick-off with a 5K at 7 a.m. The cost is $25 to participate. Registration can be completed at active.com by searching for “Everyday Hero 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run.”

Children who were a part of the Kids Superhero Marathon Club will run their final mile to reach 26.2 miles at 8 a.m.

Healthy Kids Day vendors will be in the gym from 8 a.m. until noon. Vendors will include Clanton Police Department, Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Agency, American Cancer Society, Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Chilton County Master Gardeners and Chilton County YMCA Queens.

While there is a cost to participate in the 5K, one mile and marathon club, the indoor activities for Healthy Kids Day are free.

Patterson said there will be a planting activity, giveaways and snacks.

The Sheriff’s Office will provide the opportunity for parents to get their child’s fingerprints. Sheriff John Shearon said the prints are given to the parents to keep in a safe place, along with other important information about the child and are used in abduction cases.

Patterson said she is looking forward to seeing “the community come together for health and wellness. Hopefully, some people who have never been in the YMCA or some people who haven’t been in a long time.”

“We will also have registration for summer programming,” Patterson said. “You can sign up for swim lessons, and summer camp registration opens that day.”

Thanks to a grant from Marathon Kids, the YMCA will also be hosting a running club this summer. Registration for the club will be held at Healthy Kids Day.

“They will meet at least two days a week to run, then they will keep a log and run on their own,” Patterson said.

The grant will cover prizes for students as they reach milestones in the program.

“The goal is to complete 78.6 miles between May 1 and Aug. 31,” Patterson said.

Patterson said this breaks down to about five miles a week.

“Coming together is for accountability to make sure they are doing the minimum required,” Patterson said.

The runs as a group will be completed on the city park track.

The running club is open to students in third grade and older.

“I think it is a good way to promote activity where they can do a lot of it on their own,” Patterson said.

Participants will receive a prize for every 13.1 miles completed.