Teaching a generation to be healthy

For 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday, with puddles from the previous night’s rain still fresh in the parking lot, the Glendale Unified School District headquarters was unusually abuzz with activity.

And in the building’s entrance hall, a crowd of more than 50 students, adults and community leaders — fresh out of bed in jackets and sweat-shirts — were eating breakfast pastries and sipping warm drinks in preparation for their early morning walk for a cause.

Called the “Wellness Walk for Education,” the 5-kilometer walk was put on by the Filipino-American Kiwanis of Glendale to create awareness about the health habits of children, as a way to improve their overall quality of life, said Grace Walker, president-elect of the Kiwanis group.

“As you know, obesity is one of those problems that affects adults and children,” she said to the assembly before the walk began.

And the problem is getting worse, with diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes increasing among children, she said. The disease is linked to a history of diabetes in the family and an inactive lifestyle, she said.

But there was little room for inactivity on Saturday, as the group set out on the streets in northeast Glendale to demonstrate their cause.

“It feels great to be around energetic and motivated people, especially the young ones,” said Lino Caringal, president of the Filipino-American Kiwanis.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Pacific Avenue Education Center, which offers a variety of before-school, after-school, special-education and other programs.

The Filipino-American Kiwanis sponsored the facility about two years ago and, since then, has donated more than $13,000 for programs and equipment, said Alice Petrossian, assistant superintendent of educational services for the Glendale Unified School District.

“They are truly amazing people — a number of families working to do what’s good for the community,” she said.

And Saturday’s event demonstrated the fact that young people are contributing to the community around them, despite vocal naysayers who try to cast gloom on younger generations, she said.

“What I’m most excited about is the number of young people here,” she said. “It’s a rainy Saturday morning and it would be easy to just sleep in . . . I continuously see young people involved in community activity, but this is above and beyond.”

Key club members from both Glendale and Burbank turned up for the occasion, as well as three Boy Scouts from troop 101.

“Our children are our future so educating them and forging positive new habits that affect their overall health can only make a difference in the future of our community,” Caringal said.