Canes Track Leads Miami Youth in Morning Mile
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Amy Deem, the University of Miami director of track and field & cross country, and several members of the Canes track team helped lead hundreds of local youth in a mile run.
Deem, who has coached track and field at Miami for 22 years, was joined by runners Taneisha Cordell, Jasmyne King and Shannon Wright at Goulds Park Wednesday morning. The group represented the University of Miami at the inaugural running of the 2013 Morning Mile program.
“It is always great to be involved in the community,” Deem said. “The Morning Mile is an excellent program and being able to witness all the young people participating was awesome. Getting our student-athletes involved is not only motivation for the children of Goulds Park, but reminds our student athletes of the importance of giving back to the community.”
Joining the Canes at Goulds Park were Olympic bronze medalist and Miami native Bershawn Jackson and former five-time NBA All-Star and Miami Heat legend Tim Hardaway. The Hurricanes, Jackson and Hardaway served as motivational speakers for the hundreds of children from various Miami-Dade Country Parks Fit2Play Summer Camp that were in attendance.
The Morning Mile program promotes a healthy, active lifestyle and the campers kicked off their summer of fitness by running some laps with some of the areas top athletes.
Last year the Morning Mile program had campers log in over 26,000 miles. Participants received collectible necklace charms for every five miles they ran. The Morning Mile program was developed by Fitzness International and is sponsored by AvMed Health Plans.
In addition to helping participants stay fit, the Morning Mile program also helps fund local parks through the “100 for 100” Challenge. For every child who runs 100 miles over the course of the summer as part of the Morning Mile program, $100 will be donated by local corporations to the Parks Foundation’s Fit2Play Scholarship Fund, and matched 100-percent. The Fit2Play Scholarship Fund provides disadvantaged children scholarships to attend Miami-Dade Parks’ after-school and summer camp programs at no cost.
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