The University of Colorado Denver’s Health and Wellness Center and the Daniel Graham Foundation are co-sponsoring a series of five seminars to promote physical fitness and a healthful lifestyle. The free seminars are for Denver-area high school and middle school students and their families, and will take place on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
Organizers expect more than 300 youths and their parents to attend the initial plenary session “Eating Healthy, Staying Healthy,” which will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, in Education 2, South Building, on the Anschutz Medical Campus. All five seminars are free and open to the public. Those interested in attending the seminars should RSVP to CU at 303-860-5617 or RaeAnn.Armijo@cu.edu.
Featured speakers at the first seminar will include Denver Broncos tight end Daniel Graham; James O. Hill, PhD, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the UC Denver School of Medicine, and director of the Center for Human Nutrition; and Jackie Berning, a University of Colorado at Colorado Springs professor and nutritionist for the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies.
“I wanted to build on my commitment to physical fitness for youths by partnering with my alma mater to host a series of free workshops for children and their families,” Graham said.
Hill added that seminars like these are the perfect place to involve the community in the mission of UC Denver’s Health and Wellness Center, which will soon place in one location the Center for Integrative Medicine, the Center for Human Nutrition, and the Center for Women’s Health Research. Research and care at the center will focus on alternative and complementary medicine, holistic wellness and counseling, weight management, and improving nutrition and physical fitness.
“The Daniel Graham Foundation is sharing our vision that by bringing people together, we here in Colorado can be a model to all communities in improving health, combating obesity and preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes,” Hill said. “Together we are taking the first steps in creating a new culture of health and wellness, and what better way to do that than by starting with our young people and their families.”
Other seminars will include “Walk Anschutz” on Saturday, May 2; “Lifestyle Factors” on Saturday, May 9; “Exercise” on Saturday June 6; and “Nutrition” on Saturday June 13. Start times for the May and June seminars will be announced at a later date.
Graham noted that organizers of the seminars would provide fitness tips for participants who want to train for the Colfax Marathon on May 17 or the Bolder Boulder 10K road race on May 25. Graham will sponsor a team at both races and will be on hand to cheer them on.
“The goal is to have two teams participate on behalf of the foundation or CU, and race against each other to create a friendly competition while promoting good health,” Graham said.
The Broncos’ Graham is a CU alumnus who was a prolific receiver for the Colorado Buffaloes. During his senior year at CU-Boulder, he was named First Team All-American, and won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. He finished his collegiate career with 106 receptions for 1,543 yards and 11 touchdowns. Graham was a first-round draft pick for the New England Patriots in 2002, and went on to sign with the Broncos in 2007. His father, Tom Graham, also played for Denver as a linebacker from 1972 to 1974.
This summer, Daniel Graham will host his third annual, free football clinic and a first annual double-Dutch jump roping clinic for youths.
