More than 2,000 people are expected to attend ¡Vive tu vida! in Kennett Square on Sept. 26.
KENNETT SQUARE — The fifth annual ¡Vive tu vida! Get Up! Get Moving!® event with La Comunidad Hispana (LCH) and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH) will return to Anson B. Nixon Park on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Drawing 2,000 people to the park for free health screenings, fitness activities, live music, raffles, and healthy snacks, this event celebrates the community while promoting healthy lifestyles. President and CEO Alisa Jones said this event is the core of LCH’s mission: “Everything about this event is geared towards creating a supportive environment for wellness, which is what we do every day at LCH”, said Jones, “In just one day, hundreds of people leave the event with a stronger connection to community resources.”
¡Vive tu vida! Get Up! Get Moving!® is open to the public and will be held rain or shine. The national sponsor is the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, with the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley Kennett Square location and the Mexican Consulate as local partners.
Demonstrations and attractions will include, Zumba, salsa dance lessons, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and a health walk challenge sponsored by Christiana Care Health System. Kids will enjoy YMCA inflatables, pony rides, crafts, and face painting. Ballet Folklorico Yaretzi will perform live on stage in the afternoon, along with Still Life, a local band whose lead singer is a patient of LCH. Throughout the day, there will be free health screenings and flu shots. Over sixty exhibitors will provide information on community resources.
Raffles will be held for attendees who participate in the stage demonstrations and who fill out an event program passport. Prizes include complimentary gift certificates to local restaurants, retail, and entertainment such as Longwood Gardens and Oasis.
A healthy lunch will be provided, thanks to donations from the Chester County Food Bank and Giant. The event will also host its third annual fresh salsa tasting contest with the following competing local restaurants: Plaza Azteca, El Campamento, Taste of Puebla, Red Sombrero, El Ranchero Mexicano, El Rinconcito, and La Peña.
Laura Mackiewicz, Director of Community Engagement, said this day would not be possible without the support from NAHH and our local sponsors, “We are so grateful to all of the local businesses that make this day possible. Platinum Sponsors: Chester County Food Bank, Christiana Health Care Systems, and GIANT Foods; Gold Sponsors: Aetna, Independence Blue Cross, Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital and Health System, and Nemours Afred I. duPont Hospital for Children; Silver Sponsors Comcast, Donze & Donze Attorneys at Law, Fulton Bank, Johnson and Johnson HOLA chapters, Mushroom Farmers of Pennsylvania; Bronze: American Heart Association, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Countryside Consulting, DNB First, Herr’s, El Tiempo Magazine, PA Hispano Magazine, Penn Systems, National Penn, Walgreens, Walmart, and Westover Cardiology.
Due to the high volume of participants, parking within the park will be closed to the public. To access the event, free parking in the Genesis Public Parking Garage and the surrounding city streets is just a five minute walk to the park using the trail entrance at the intersection of North Broad Street and East Linden Street. A free shuttle will also run every 15 minutes from Eagle Energy Systems parking lot (500 North Walnut Road) and the Genesis parking lot next to Kennett High School (600 South Broad Street) from 8:00AM – 3:00PM. Visit LCH’s website for entrance maps and updates on parking options. Information on how to volunteer for the event is also listed.
