Cartoon dinosaur leads the way in fighting childhood obesity
Fidelis Care New York and a Willowbrook-based organization make healthy living fun for kids
Monday, March 27, 2006
By ANDREA BOYARSKY
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
One is big, green, millions of years old and advocates for proper healthcare in New York State. The other is a small and energetic 9-year-old boy who enjoys sports and has a never give-up attitude. And together, they're trying to combat childhood obesity.
Fidelis Care New York has teamed up with A Dewey Does Corporation to encourage children toward a healthy lifestyle. Their mascots, the Fidelisaurus and Dewey Does are aiding in the mission, which includes appearances at local schools, hospitals and community centers.
"The goal is to help communicate the importance [of a proper lifestyle] to kids and educate them on youth obesity and how it affects their life in the long run," said Thomas Kinslow, chief executive officer of A Dewey Does Corporation, which is based in Willowbrook.
Richard Pafundi, director of marketing for Fidelis Care New York, said the top three concerns for his clients are childhood asthma, diabetes and the partnership's mission, obesity. Kinslow said the mascots are there to help combat concerns through entertainment, since their target group is 6 to 12 year olds.
The two companies will be putting on stage shows throughout the state, which feature their mascots as well as a coach, nutritionist and retired school principal who will speak about eating right, being active and playing sports.
The stage shows are free and are funded through public and private donations, including those from the Richmond County Bank. They are scheduled to perform at several Island schools as well as at the Muddy Cup, Stapleton, on April 12 at 10 a.m. Dewey Does will also have a Golfapalooza on April 20 at noon at the Silver Lake Golf Course. Children ages eight to 13 can register at
www.deweydoes.org
The two organizations also have a coloring book, which will be distributed wherever they go. They are also planning special service announcements on television and print ads that focus on childhood obesity.
"The mission of Fidelis Care is to ensure every resident has access to quality healthcare with dignity and respect," Pafundi said. "By partnering with Dewey Does, it's another way to give back to the community and provide proper healthcare."
Dewey Does is a sports-oriented cartoon character created in 1999. For the past two years, the corporation has been performing the stage show titled "What Does Dewey Does Do," solo. There is also a Dewey Does book series called "Heroes Start as Kids," which can be ordered at
www.deweydoes.com.
Last year, Staten Island Community Television aired the series "Dewey Does 110 Percent," which profiled young athletes who gave 110 percent to their sport.
Fidelis Care is a Catholic Health Plan dedicated to providing quality healthcare to people who do not have access to health insurance. It serves 35 counties in the state, including Richmond. For more information visit,
www.fideliscare.org.
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