Detroit Lions 'Meet Up and Eat Up' With Kids At Eastern Market
DETROIT (WWJ) - Some young Detroit students had a chance Tuesday to spend some play time with members of the Detroit Lions at Eastern Market as part of the annual "Meet Up and Eat Up," to show the value of healthy eating.
Lions players, including free safety Glover Quin, jumped rope and played tag with the kids.
He talked about why staying active while eating right is important.
"When you get older, the habits are kinda of formed already, and you try to break 'em," said Quin. "But if you can teach them the right things from a young age, then they go through life and have those healthy habits, and hopefully (it will) help them live a longer life."
Along with the recess session, students got a tour of the Eastern Market Tuesday Market, a healthy snack demonstration by Lions Executive Chef Joe Nader, and educational lessons on the impact of nutrition by Wayne State University public health and medical students.
Jim Vella, president of the Detroit Motor company fund, says this is the first year they have teamed with the Lions and the United Way to raise awareness of hunger and food availability.
"Well, there are about 600,000 people who are hunger insecure [in southeast Michigan]," Vella told WWJ Newsradio 950's Ron Dewey. "So that doesn't mean that they don't have any food in their homes, but they don't have enough to feed everybody three meals a day."
Vella hopes such events will also encourage others to donate to local food banks.