Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / April 18, 2013, edition 1 / Page 2
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Locals hit the streets for National Walking Day BY LAYLA GARMS THE CHRONICLE City residents recently took to the streets, joining countless other communi ties nationwide in the quest for better health. In celebration of National Walking Day, observed April 3, the American Heart Association joined forces with area businesses to encourage members of the local workforce to take the first step in becoming more physically active, by committing to take at least 30 minutes out of their day to get up and walk. According to the AHA, adults need a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week in order to decrease their risk of hypertension and enjoy other health benefits, such as improved bone health, better sleep and increased energy. "It's amazing what 150 minutes will do for you," declared Mayor Allen Joines. "We know that over 50 percent of our population doesn't get any exercise, and that will cer tainlv imDact blood Dres * * sure, diabetes, heart disease and all of those things." Six Triad companies were slated to take part in the 2013 event, which was sponsored locally by TE Connectivity. More than 250 T E Connectivity employees signed up to take part in a 30-minute walk on the compa ny's grounds. T E Connectivity is nroud to he a I ? ? ? sponsor of the American Heart Association's National Walking Day. Many of our employees regularly walk on our campus as part of our health and fitness pro gram," stated Shad Kroeger, senior vice presi dent of Relay Products. AHA Regional Community Leadership Team Captain Alvin Borders helped to coordi nate the effort in Winston Salem, which was launched near the Bryce Stewart Municipal Building on Wednesday "Our goal is just to bring recognition to the fact that people need to be physically fit and continue to stay vibrant," Borders said. Borders, who also serves as vice president and director of Workforce Development for the Winston-Salem Urban League, said he got involved with the American Heart Association about a year ago, when his gospel singing group, Exalted Praise, began distributing AHA fliers and informa tion at the venues where they performed. "The health disparity is in the African American community, sure enough," said the father of six. "Wp felt like we had a responsibility to do more than sing, that's why we've been giv ing out the (AHA) informa tion." Borders says he knows first hand how easy it is to let your level of physical activity slip. He was inspired to take his own health into his own hands after climbing on the scale one day to discover that he had gained a significant amount of weight, almost without noticing. He has since begun exercising, and has lost nearly 50 pounds to date. "I feel great. 1 really do. It feels great to be vibrant." he said. "The walking led to the gym. I've been lifting weights - I hadn't really done that since high school." Borders, a grandfather of three, believes his real life struggle will resonate with the folks he is trying to encourage tQ incorpo rate more physical activity into their lives. "I thought it was also interesting for somebody that's not necessarily in shape to tell people that we can do this together," he commented. "You are somebody that has been 0 there and done that that's telling people, 'We can do this."' Reginald Clinton and Fred Moore were among those who took part in Walking Day downtown. Both men are members of Exalted Praise and AHA volunteers. Moore, a job developer for the Urban League, said he has enjoyed educating the community through Exalted Praise. "We try to educate them on the sly," he said of their audience, whom he said is receptive to the group's message. "I don't think people are ever rejecting Heart Association information. They desire to hear more, that is my sense." For Clinton, participat ing in the walk was the lat est in a series of lifestyle changes he's made as a result of being involved with the AHA. "I've learned how important it is to keep up with your health," he said. Winston-Salem State University student Amber May manned the informa lion table downtown last week. May. a senior healthcare management major and AHA intern, also helped organize a series of "Go Red for Women" heart disease awareness campaigns on campus in February. "I think it's a really necessary project in the community because we get an hour for lunch and if you take 30 minutes to walk, you can bum off some of those calories from lunch." she said of Walking Day. "I heard a physician say doing your exercise is like brushing your teeth for your heart ... so it's important for me." Ltarn more at wwwJieart.org. Visit www.heart.org/national walkingday. Photos by Lay la Gums Fred Moore and Reginald Clinton take part in the walking event near City Hall South. ? May Borders Students from page AI Ortega and other immi grants shared their experi ences during an April 11 panel discussion at their school, Forsyth Tech. Five students - Ortega, Abigail Cruz, Dulce Moreno, Salomon Pinargote and Estela Tones - spoke out about the challenges mem bers of the Hispanic com munity face in the educa tional sector and in society. "People think that Latinos or Mexicans or whoever don't want to study, don't want to learn. They think it's their choice and their fault, but that's not necessarily true," said Pinargote, a native of Ecuador. " It has a lot to do with how society treats Latino students. People expect Latino students to fail." Some members of the panel also recently spoke at the World View Conference at UNC Chapel Hill, and Carol Hayes, a communi cations teacher at Forsyth Tech, invited them to address their instructors and peers as well. "I think this is some thing that really needs to be heard. We're getting to see a unique perspective," com mented the Clemson University alumna. "...I hope that ^audience mem bers) havi some insight into another culture because if you can have empathy and understand where a person's coming from, it changes the whole dialogue and opens the doors of communication because although we have a lot of differences, we have a lot of similarities as well." For Cruz, who grew up in Davidson County, being the lone Hispanic student in her community, coupled with the fact that she didn't speak English when she started kindergarten, made for a daunting experience. "I went into the class room, and automatically 1 was sat at the back ... It was as if I was not even there," juan urtega speans. she said. As she gained a com-, mand of the language, Cruz said the scope of the dis crimination she faced came into focus. "Once I knew English, it was a whole different story. It was like, 'Oh, the little brown girl - don't talk to her. She doesn't look like us,'" she related. "I went into this big depression - 1 was on medication - just because I heard all these bullying comments." Torres, a Salvadorian, said she had the opposite experience.. The self described "over achiever" said she was buoyed by the confidence her mother and teachers displayed in her as a child. "All of my teachers would tell me what a help ful, smart girl I was, and that my mother must be very proud," she said. "That got to me - knowing that someone other than my mother believed in me. That gave me confidence in myself." Though she is an American citizen, Torres says she knows many peo ple who suffer because they are not, which propels her to strive to be the best she can be. "That helps me in the struggles of staying up and studying and trying to get through college," she remained. "I'm doing it for my mother and for other students that can't." The North Carolina General Assembly is cur rently considering a tuition equality bill that could ease the financial strain for undocumented students. The In-State Tuition/Some N.C. Immigrant Youth Act, which would allow all youth who have graduated from North Carolina high schools and lived in the state for at least two years to pay the in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities, was intro duced in the NC House last week, as thousands of immigrants and their sup porters converged on Washington, D.C. to demand immigration reform. Ortega is hopeful that The Dream Act, which was reintroduced earlier this year, will open the doors for longtime residents like him to gain citizenship. Regardless of the Act's fate, Ortega said he is determined to succeed. "My parents brought me here to this country for better, and 1 am not going to let them down," he declared. "They came a long way for me, and I will do the same for them." Photo by UyU Oirm The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. PitI and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem. N.C 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem. N.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636 INFORMATION SESSIONS Potential sale of UVM Coliseum & Bowman Gray Stadium *9*fwMiatflhff1ly1lrnffiHfrf^urtiywlniaN jiing thevfadttes, pay off ensti^deit ad enable (Ik city to address other pessw) upti mbK MBurmenrcicafli mUUMII MmW ? Ik, Apri23J1J0ajL -1pj^LMICflfiinni Doom Room Oments abort both battel aRwekane. emmet ml* mm ttQbm frtlil lme(7H-1400) FROM HUNT Jo DIGITAL \ a amgmse m mm saves n mshm-salen stah unvbsiy 120"""
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