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    NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public invited to Express Your SuperPower 5K in Canton, Sept. 19

Written by: Jennifer King
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Category: Media Releases
Fun for Everyone. . . Register TODAY!
 
Express_Your_SuperPower_5K_logo_for_web.jpgCanton (GA) – The Express Your SuperPower 5K is on Saturday, September 19 and will be a fun, family event that starts and finishes in the brand new Etowah River Park at 600 Brown Industrial Parkway in Canton. The goal of the Express Your SuperPower 5K is to raise awareness of breastfeeding and the health of babies and children throughout Georgia and the surrounding areas.
 
Participants are urged to come early. Registration is at 7 a.m. and activities are planned for people of all ages.
 
Both a walking and running event, the Express Your SuperPower 5K begins at 8 a.m., followed by a 1 Mile Fun Run at 9 a.m. and a Tot Trot at 9:30 a.m. The Awards Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m.
 
Bubbles and face painting will be part of the fun; plus, participants who express their superpower by dressing up like their favorite superheroes will be eligible to win prizes for best costumes.
 
13_year_old_Lexa_Hendrix_of_Calhoun_GA_prepares_for_the_Express_Your_Superpower_5K_events_forWeb.jpg“The North Georgia Health District and the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition are presenting this first-of-its-kind 5K in Georgia as an extension of our celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually August 1 – 7,” said Carol Hendrix, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator for the North Georgia Health District. “Proceeds from the Express Your SuperPower 5K will go to the Northwest Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition and the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition.”
 
Breastfeeding is a vitally important public health issue that affects all Georgians.
 
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report card shows that breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive health measures for infants and mothers. According to the CDC, support for breastfeeding is needed in many different arenas including hospitals and birth centers, worksites, and communities. However, the CDC report shows that Georgia still lags behind the national average on infant breastfeeding rates.
 
The CDC states, “The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers, and policymakers. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action across the country to support breastfeeding.”
 
For more details about the Express Your SuperPower 5K and to register online, log onto nwgabfcoalition.com/express-your-superpower-5k or search for it at www.active.com.

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 Express Your SuperPower 5K schedule of events and details at a glance:

  • Packet pick-up will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 17th at the Etowah River Park, 600 Brown Industrial Pkwy., Canton.
  • Race day registration will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, September 19 at Etowah River Park, followed by these events:
    • 5K - 8:00 a.m.
    • 1 Mile Fun Run - 9:00 a.m.
    • Tot Trot - 9:30 a.m.
    • Awards - 10:00 a.m.
  • Course starts and finishes in the Etowah River Park, with only one small hill (4% grade) and a water station is at the top.
  • Early arrival is urged. Late arrivals will not be allowed to run the race.
  • Parking will be in Etowah River Park. Carpooling is recommended. Overflow parking will be in the nearby Industrial Park.
  • All runners must sign a liability waiver to race.
  • Wearing technical clothing (non-cotton) is best while running.
  • Registration information and other event details are at nwgabfcoalition.com/express-your-superpower-5k or search for Express Your SuperPower 5K at www.active.com.

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Child Car Seat Safety is Job ONE for Fannin County Health Employee

Written by: Jennifer King
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Category: Media Releases

Debra_Thomas_of_the_Fannin_County_Health_Department_conducts_a_Child_Car_Safety_Seat_inspection-forWeb.jpgBlue Ridge (GA) – When is a child's car safety seat not safe? It is never safe when it is improperly used, according to Debra Thomas of the Fannin County Health Department.

 
She is ensuring car safety seats for children are installed and used correctly.
 
Thomas has been trained as a certified child safety seat technician through the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant, funded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.1
 
Since 2007, at least 283 children in Georgia who were involved in crashes were saved from serious injury or death by car seats, booster seats, and education provided through the Mini-Grant.
 
“Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children and it’s up to all of us to do everything we can to protect our children on the road,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Buckling up our children is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries.”
 
Thomas has been working with community partners such as the Fannin County Fire Department to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use child car safety seats, offer child car seat inspections and provide car seats and booster seats to financially eligible families. Through the Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant, the Fannin County Health Department is one of more than 135 counties working with community partners to keep Georgia’s children safely buckled up right, every trip, every time.
 
Thomas said, “When correctly installed and used, child car safety seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in toddlers, according to CDC’s Injury and Prevention and Control division.”2
 
Debra_Thomas_of_the_Fannin_County_Health_Department_inspects_Parker_Lees_car_seat_to_ensure_it_is_properly_installed-forWeb3.jpgAs part of her job, Thomas provides child car safety seat checks at the health department as well as at partner-sponsored safety events in Fannin County and surrounding areas.
 
“Most people think they use their child car seats correctly,” said Thomas. “But actual car seat inspections show that 80 to 90 percent are installed or used incorrectly.”
 
She said reasons for this confusion range from unclear car seat instructions and vehicle owner manuals to the fact there is such a wide variety of car seat designs, automobile seat belt systems and vehicle seat shapes and sizes.
 
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