Pictured: JABSOM MD 2019 candidates Jayden Galamgam and Jack Branston lead the keiki in jump rope, part of the physical fitness station. Deborah Manog Dimaya Photo.
By Deborah Manog Dimaya, UH Med Now
A forecast of heavy winds and torrential downpour could not put a damper on the smiles of children, happy to learn about making healthy food choices, avoiding germs, the body’s anatomy and more at the Annual Healthy Keiki Camp.
University of Hawaiʻi (UH) medical student with the Alpha Omega Alpha Society Honor Medical Society host the half-day event every year at Linapuni Elementary, located within the Kūhiō Park Terrace complex in Kalihi, a generally underserved community on the island of Oāhu.
“One of the really unique things about this experience is having so many future physicians being able to come, being able to offer these children some opportunities that they may not have had,” said Dane Kurohara, MD 2018 candidate and event co-chair.
Keiki, grades K-5, were invited to an afternoon of fun, health-related activities, led by student volunteers from the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
“We go out into the community and we work with kids and we’re basically teaching them about health and things they can do including a good diet, dental hygiene, exercise basically you know, anything we can do to get them feeling healthy again and establish good habits right from the get-go,” said Harry Wynn-Williams, MD 2018 Candidate and event co-chair.
Some of the different educational stations included a dynamic warm-up and stretching, making healthy food choices, coloring and making “brain hats.” One station focused on proper hand-washing, where keiki rubbed their hands with “glo-germ” powder before washing their hands. Then, they looked at their hands under a black light, which would show remnants of the powder if the keiki did not wash it all off.
Dental hygiene students from UH Mānoa also taught keiki about cavities and how to prevent them with proper brushing and flossing techniques as well as a “hack the plaque” game. This year’s community sponsors include Hawaiʻi Medical Service (HMSA), American Academy of Pediatrics, Meadow Gold, UH Pediatric Residency Program and Jamba Juice.
See photos by Joshua Dimaya and Deborah Manog Dimaya:
Read the transcript from the video.
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