Family fun night wraps up summer feed program

By Lailani Upham

Youngsters wait in line and are served their last summer feeding program meal with their parents during a free BBQ held at Salish Kootenai College Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center lawn last Tuesday. (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — Keep it fun, healthy and active were the main ingredients for the summer feeding and fitness program sponsored at Salish Kootenai College.

The youth program ran all summer long from June to August with a huge grand finale wrap-up that began at noon and ended after the sun went down last Tuesday.

Families were invited to join their children at 5 pm for dinner and a show by the local ministry team, Tribal Waves, for an evening of block-busting, car-tossing fun.

Families "pig out" on a healthy meal of salads, fruits and ground baked pig to end the summer kids feeding program at the Salish Kootenai College campus. The Tribal Waves youth ministry provided the roasted pig. The pig is cooked Pacific Island style, in the ground for eight hours, according to Sika Ulutoa. (Lailani Upham photo)

The students were bussed in to SKC to eat lunch then transported to The People’s Center for a field trip to see the museum and play a few native games. After building up a sweat, the students were then transported to Riverside Park in Polson for dip in the lake, to burn some calories.

Although the program opened their doors and time for youth ages 18 years and younger to a free breakfast and lunch with physical activities all week long, for the entire summer; the average age of students who participated in the program were from 9 to 12, according to Mike Tryon, SKC Fitness Trainer and program coordinator.

Children crowd around Craige Couture, Tribal Waves team member and CSKT Tribal Police Chief, as he demonstrates human strength with tipping a compact-size car upside down. (Lailani Upham photo)

A free breakfast and lunch was served at three sites: Pablo, Arlee and St. Ignatius. The Pablo site also bussed kids after lunch to the Boys and Girls Club in Ronan, with parents’ permission.

This summer the program averaged around 70 students who participate in the free summer feed and fitness program that began last summer.

A portion of healthy foods and/or snacks along with the physical activities for the three hours came through SKC’s Community Health and Development program and the Field and Home project. Tyron and Paul Philips said the project’s goal was to add a touch of health from both programs to the summer feeding program to enhance healthy lifestyles for children.

Samoan and Tribal Waves team leader Sika Ulutoa bends a steel rod iron within minutes over his head. Ulutoa's ministry is affiliated with Youth With a Mission, the team made up of different tribes and nations and using their culture and strength to promote young people to make the right decisions and stay healthy. (Lailani Upham photo)

The wrap-up afternoon ended with a “pig roast” and presentations for the whole family by local youth ministry team, Tribal Waves. Parents who had children in the program throughout or part of the summer joined in the end-of-the-summer bash.

Tribal Waves volunteered time with the kids during the summer program, playing basketball and other games once-a-week. The kids always noticed when the ministry were not present and ask Tryon “Where are the Samoans?” Sika Ulutoa, the youth leader, said they took open and every available opportunity they had to help out with the summer kids activities.

Tryon said, the Tribal Waves team was big help along with the DHRD Summer Youth Employment program that offered seven students employment with them. The students were: Justin Dusty Bull, Trevor Butterfly, Ashley Grandchamp, Michael Brown, Sierra Pete, Amber Quequesah and Sam Peel. Peel stayed on two and half more weeks after the summer youth employment program ended to help volunteer with the kids, according to Tryon.

Youngsters watch the Tribal Waves Samoan dancers perform their cultural pacific island fire dance. Several families and kids stayed until dark to watch the grand finale fire dance. The dance routine is performed to upbeat rhythmic drumming, hand clapping and singing. A dance troupe can include from two to as many as 10 rows of dancers, with the men jumping up and down and the women moving gracefully from side to side. (Lailani Upham photo)

Denise Juneau, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction said in a recent article, that Montana’s Summer Food Service Program is a leader in providing healthy food to a growing number of low-income children when school is out – and is a leader in the nation in reaching eligible low-income children.

“During summer break kids should not worry about getting enough to eat,” said Juneau. The Summer Food Program makes sure all children get healthy food during the summer months so they can return to school ready to learn. Studies show that children who are hungry are more likely to be in poor health and less likely to form friendships, to be curious, and to learn. One in 10 people in Montana live in households where there is not always enough nutritious food.

Sika demonstrates with a group of volunteer boys a traditional dance of the Maori tribe of New Zealand, called the "Haka," a dance that was used before war or battle to intimidate their opposition and unite their team. (Lailani Upham photo)

The Food Research and Action Center’s report titled “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2010” found that more than 6,600 children were served meals in Montana communities in 2009—up from 5,700 in 2008.

Much of the summer for the Summer Feeding program was spent outdoors swimming, playing kickball, football, basketball, dodgeball, Native Games, volleyball, soccer, shinny and bike riding with the collaboration from SKC’s Field and Home project and the Fitness Center.

Tribal Waves team members spot Ulutoa as he presses a 250-pound log four times. On the last press, Ulutoa slowly and shakily pushed the log up as kids sitting on the grass below him stayed locked on his efforts; cheering with claps and smiles as the log was let down by the spotters. The team's demonstrations are efforts to motivate kids to be strong and stay positive, Ulutoa said. (Lailani Upham photo)

Numbers of children doubled from last year to this year for the summer youth fitness fun program. According to Tryon, the program hopes to expand with new activities and fun things for the kids next year and years down the road.