The students of St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School were given a special treat today. Former graduates turned OHL players, Nick Cousins (Soo Greyhounds), Kevin Bailie (Oshawa Generals) and Jason Shaw (Niagara Ice Dogs), were at the school to promote healthy habits and physical activity.  The players spent time with each class in the school discussing the diet of a professional athlete, as well as the rigorous training required to play at an elite level.

“This has been a pretty cool day” said Nick Cousins, “It’s kind of nice to come back to the school and see some faces I haven’t seen in a while, and nice to show the kids some of the things I have learned.”

Kevin Bailie who has been playing for the Oshawa Generals for the last two years, took time to demonstrate some of the skills he needs for balance and strength while playing goal. “A lot of the activities I do to keep my strength up for goal are useful for anyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle, says Bailie. “I had a lot of fun. St. Joe’s has been great to me and my family, so I feel like I owe it to the young kids attending the school there now. It is nice to be able to give a little of that back.”

 “I think today was a great day. It was a fun experience for students of every age in our school,” said Jacob Panetta, a member of the Grade 8 Leadership Committee.

“I get to go to Schools with the Ice Dogs, but you don’t usually get to go to your home school because you aren’t playing when you are home, so it was kind of nice” said Jason Shaw.
   
The Grade 8 Leadership group at St. Joseph School decided back in December to host a ‘Healthy Habits Week,’ and applied for a grant from the Ontario Government to help deal with the costs associated with this event. The students received word that their application for the ‘Speak Up’ grant was accepted in January. The purpose of the grant is to encourage students to get active in their community and foster strong leadership skills.

“Exercise like a pro for a day” was the kick off to the week of events that includes healthy snacks provided each day, as well as an opportunity to participate in dancing activities, demonstrations from Andrea Dirocco Supreyka, from One to One fitness in Belleville, and the school’s annual track and field meet at the Bruce Faulds Track. 

Leadership students approached local business in the hopes that they would support the event, and 3 of the local grocery stores came through with donations; including Dewe’s Independent Grocer, Metro, and Food Basics. Adrianna Sudds, a member of the Leadership committee, feels the businesses in their area are a great asset to the school community. “It was very generous of the businesses to help us out with our project. We really appreciate their help and couldn’t do these types of projects without their generosity.”

“Even a big company like Black Diamond Cheese donated cheese for snacks,” adds Niki Kallinteris, another Leadership Group member.

St. Joseph Catholic School has had a history of graduates moving on to play at higher levels of hockey, including local products Andrew Shaw (Niagara Ice Dogs) and Andrew Raycroft (Vancouver Canucks). Healthy Habits week will continue through until Friday May 21st, where the entire school community will gather in the school yard for a chance to use the dance moves taught earlier in the week.