Health & Wellness
Healthbeat
Chain 393*1 supporting MM
For the 13th consecutive year, Bojangles'
is supporting the Muscular Dystrophy
Association (MDA) through its Shamrocks
Against Dystrophy in-store fundraiser.
Through Sunday, March 16, customers can
once again support the organization by pur
chasing a green shamrock for $1 or a gold
shamrock for $5. The program is offered at all
company-owned Bojangles' and participating
franchise locations.
Customers who support MDA by purchas
ing a $1 shamrock will be rewarded with a
coupon for a free Bo-Berry Biscuit - a
Bojangles'
made-from
scratch but
termilk bis
cuit filled
with blueber
ries and
topped with a
sweet icing
drizzle.
Customers
who purchase a $5 shamrock will receive a
coupon for a free Bojangles' Sausage Biscuit,
featuring seasoned, zesty sausage on a freshly
made biscuit.
"For the past 16 years, Bojangles' has
proudly sponsored various MDA fundraisers
to support local research dedicated to finding
effective treatments and ultimately a cure for
neuromuscular diseases," said Bojangles'
President and CEO Clifton Rutledge. "We're
thrilled to host the 13th annual Shamrocks
Against Dystrophy fundraiser and we appreci
ate our Bojangles' team members and loyal
customers, whose generosity provides funds
for hundreds of incredible children to experi
ence a magical week of MDA Summer
Camp."
litis one-of-a-kind camp experience offers
a wide range of activities specially designed
for young people who have limited mobility or
use medical equipment such as wheelchairs.
The cost of sending one child to MDA
Summer Camp for a week is $800, and MDA
depends solely on the efforts of its corporate
supporters and individual donors to raise these
funds. Last year, the Bojangles' company and
franchise restaurants raised a new Shamrocks
record of more than $446,000, sending more
than 550 children to camps.
Program moves to HP
Monarch, a statewide nonprofit that pro
vides support to people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities, mental illness and
substance abuse challenges, has relocated its
Companions on the Journey (COTJ) day pro
gram to The Arc of High Point building, 153
E. Bellevue Drive.
Monarch's COTJ currently provides a
range of services and supports that incorporate
socialization, cultural arts, recreation, volun
teerism and community involvement for peo
ple with intellectual and developmental dis
abilities. The relocation will support COTJ's
need to accommodate potential growth and
expansion of its programs in Guilford County.
"This move is a positive one for our pro
gram in High Point and for the people we sup
port there," said Monarch's Chief Operations
Officer Jim Kelley. "It will allow us to move
into a larger facility, where we hope to grow
and expand. It also gives us better access to
our longtime partner The Arc of High Point.
We are grateful and appreciate their willing
ness to accommodate our program."
For more information about Monarch's
Companions on the Journey or other Monarch
services, please call 866-272-7826, visit
www.MonarchNC.org.
Research indicates new
rule win prevent injuries
Major League Baseball implemented last
week an experimental, controversial rule to
protect catchers, prohibiting base runners from
initiating deliberate collisions at home plate in
hopes of preventing concussions and injuries.
Tag plays at home plate have the highest
injury rate in profession
al baseball, occurring 4.3
times more often than
other base-running plays,
according to researchers
at Wake Forest Baptist
Medical Center.
Dr. Daryl
Rosenbaum, sports medi
cine physician at Wake
Forest Baptist and lead
author of the study, and
his team of researchers
Rosenbaum
looked at three types of MLB plays from 2002
to 2011.
This data was cross-referenced with 2002
to 2011 disabled lists to see if any involved
player went on the disabled list the day of or
day after the play. An online search for each
match determined if the injury was attributable
to that play.
Nearly three players per year were injured
severely enough in tag plays at the plate to be
put on the 15-day disabled list, according to
the study findings.
The research is published in the current
online edition of the International Journal of
Sports Medicine.
Forsyth child
health stats
mostly good
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Key indicators show that the
health of children in Forsyth
County is steadily improving.
The NC Child's 2013 Child
Health County Data Card for
Forsyth County found that
between 2007 and 2012 more chil
dren were enrolled in health and
dental coverage programs, gradua
tion rates rose and the teen preg
nancy rate fell - though it is still
higher than the state average.
NC Child Data Card found the
following in Forsyth County:
? Medicaid enrollment
increased by 29.2 percent and
Health Choice enrollment
increased by 32.9 percent, which is
consistent with statewide data
showing a 30
percent decline
in uninsured
children;
?
Medicaid-eli
gible children I
who received I
dental care I
increased by I
18.8 percent
for children 1
I 1 I 1 ft I? I
Bell
5 and 16.7 percent for children 6
14;
? North Carolina's teen preg
nancy rate continued to improve,
dropping 43 percent to 19.7 per
1,000 girls ages 15-17. The teen
pregnancy rate was 23.6 per 1,000
girls in Forsyth County;
? Statewide, child fatalities
continued to decline, falling 22
percent to 58.6 per 100,000 chil
dren under age 18. Forsyth County
had 65 child deaths in 2012;
? The graduation rate improved
by 14.4 percent.
"It's no coincidence that
Forsyth County experienced a sig
nificant decline in its teen pregnan
cy rate and increase in its gradua
tion rate over the past several
years," said Laila A. Bell, director
of research and data at NC Child.
"Both of these indicators have
been targeted by well-funded state
efforts. This improvement should
give us hope that we can make
progress on big problems when
we're willing to put resources
behind data-driven solutions."
NC Child's findings for
Forsyth County were not all posi
tive. Some key economic indica
tors in Forsyth County have wors
ened as a result of the recession
and subsequent budget cuts.
Specifically, the unemployment
rate in Forsyth County increased
from 4.4 percent to 9.0 percent
from 2007 to 2012, and the median
household income declined 16.5
percent to $43,049. In 2011, the
most recent year for which data are
available, 24.7 percent of children
in Forsyth County were living in
households that struggled to meet
their basic nutritional needs.
"Statewide, one in four chil
dren are growing up in poverty.
Food insecurity is a very serious
byproduct of poverty that's mak
ing its presence felt in Forsyth
County," stated Bell. "No child
should ever go to bed hungry, but
unfortunately, that's what's hap
pening to children across the coun
ty"
On Jan. 1, Action for Children
NC merged with the Covenant
with NC's Children to create NC
Child: The Voice for North
Carolina's Children, a nonprofit,
non-partisan children advocacy
agency.
Reports for each county were
compiled. To learn more, go to
wwwsicchild org.
Weekend Zumbathon to
support Hispanic League
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Hispanic League wants you to break
a sweat for a good cause.
The nonprofit advocacy organization
will host a Zumbathon on Saturday (March
7) from 7 - 9:30 p.m. at the Village Inn
Event Center, 6205 Ramada Drive in
Clemmons.
?* Admission is $15 at the door. Proceeds
will support the "Zumbathon Scholarship,"
which will be one of several the League will
present to a deserving local student later this
year.
A litany of well-known fitness instruc
tors will take turns leading the dance-tinged
marathon workout. They include Greicy
Barahona, Ale Burrone, Christine Childs,
Bonita Harmel, Liz Romo-Kelly, Mary
Kevin Miller, Helen Naples, Laquinta
Jackson, Adi Tsemah, Carlotta Wilkerson
and Cortney Wilson.
Since 2000, the Hispanic League has
awarded 214 scholarships worth more than
$400,000. The scholarships are presented in
$2,000 annual awards given to outstanding
Hispanic/Latino students who are current or
former Forsyth County ESL (English as a
Second Language) students and may fall
under DACA (Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals) program.
To support middle school education,
Hispanic League members and volunteers
visit ESL students at seven local middle
schools to inspire them to improve and con
tinue their education. The Hispanic League
also rewards ESL students' academic and
behavioral achievements at the end of each
school year.
For more information about the
Hispanic League, visit www.hispani
cleague.org or call 336-770-1228.
Advocates prepare to appeal to lawmakers
on behalf of older North Carolinians
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Dr. Althea Taylor-Jones
joined other AARP advo
cates from Feb. 18-19 as
they prepared to speak to
state lawmakers about the
specific needs of North
Carolinians who are 50 and
older. The General
Assembly short session
begins May 14.
According to Dr. Taylor
Jones, a major focus for
AARP members and other
advocates is the expansion
of Home Care Community
Block Grant services, which
is designed to provide assis
tance to family caregivers
and provide options for
older adults to "age in
place" by continuing to live
in their homes.
Advocates say in-home
care is a personal preference
for the majority of older
adults, as well as their fami
ly members. A Metropolitan
Life Insurance study in
2012 reported that the aver
age cost of care in a semi
private room in a nursing
home in North Carolina was
$194 a day, compared to
$19 an hour for in-home
aide services.
Dr. Taylor-Jones
believes expanding the pro
gram will enhance quality
of life for older adults as
well as family caregivers.
James Wall. AARP North
Carolina president, said vol
unteers and advocates have
been key in educating older
adults and others about poli
cies that affect them.
"Volunteers have been
very effective in explaining
how policy proposals effect
middle-age and older North
Carolinians," he said, noting
that volunteers have been
effective by conducting per
sonal visits and meetings
with lawmakers, taking part
in letter-writing campaigns
and speaking to community
groups and at public
forums.
Dr. Taylor-Jones is a
long-time advocate for
older adults. She served on
the AARP North Carolina
Executive Council for six
years and is now an AARP
Key Legislative Contact.
For a more detailed out
line of AARP priorities for
2014 and beyond, visit
wwwaarp .org/nc.
Taylor-Jones
Wall
WSPD seeks donations ahead of gun buy-back events
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Winston-Salem Police
Department wants the public's
help in helping rid the city of
weapons that could be used in
the commission of crimes.
WSPD is soliciting private
contributions from individuals
and businesses for its upcom
ing gun buy-back program.
The City Council has des
ignated $10,000 in police for
feiture funds for the program,
and wants to raise $10,000 in
matching funds from the com
munity. All contributions are
fully tax-deductible within
state and federal limitations.
Donations may be made
with Visa, MasterCard and
Discover online at
www.CityofWS.org/gunbuy
back. Donations by check
should be mailed to Gun Buy
Back Program. City of
Winston-Salem. P.O. Box
2756, Winston-Salem. NC
27102. Please write "gun buy
back" on the memo line of the
check.
Under the buy-back pro
gram. citizens turning in
firearms will be paid $ 150 for
automatic weapons, $100 for
handguns, and $75 for rifles
and shotguns. Pellet guns. BB
guns and ammunition will
also be accepted, but without
compensation.
Two buy-back events will
be held. The first will be
March 15 at the Winston
Salem Fairgrounds; the other
is April 12 at First Waughtown
Baptist Church, 838 Moravia
St. Both events are from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m.
More information about
the gun buy-back program,
including the protocol for
those wanting to turn in
weapons for cash, is posted at
the web site, or by calling
336-747-7361.