Jean Gardner
By: WROC-TV
Updated: August 3, 2010
"They get the exercise they need; their mind and their body is getting stimulated. It's such a fundamental thing for a child," said Jean Gardner.
As director of the Lakeside Child and Family Center on Stutson Street in Rochester, Gardner knows just how important playgrounds are.
10 years ago, the state had to replace the Stutson Street Bridge, so they bought the land under the center's old playground. That left the daycare without a place for the kids to play.
Gardner sprang into action, and raised $65,000.
"We sold pencils and papers, and did car washes, and sold cookbooks and gradually worked it up until we had so much money," said Gardner.
The new playground is made from state of the art material. It's a safe place for neighborhood kids on the weekend, and kids from the daycare center during the week.
"The kids love it. This is the one thing they do everyday. We have the potential to show them videos or play on the computer. They don't do that at all anymore - their choice is only to be out here," said Gardner.
For providing the spark behind that motivation, Gardner is a Healthy Hero.
"Our feeling is if we start with these children around 2, and they're always eating healthy food and talking about the healthy food and exercisng every day, we want this to be a lifestyle they'll embrace for the rest of their lives," said Gardner.
As director of the Lakeside Child and Family Center on Stutson Street in Rochester, Gardner knows just how important playgrounds are.
10 years ago, the state had to replace the Stutson Street Bridge, so they bought the land under the center's old playground. That left the daycare without a place for the kids to play.
Gardner sprang into action, and raised $65,000.
"We sold pencils and papers, and did car washes, and sold cookbooks and gradually worked it up until we had so much money," said Gardner.
The new playground is made from state of the art material. It's a safe place for neighborhood kids on the weekend, and kids from the daycare center during the week.
"The kids love it. This is the one thing they do everyday. We have the potential to show them videos or play on the computer. They don't do that at all anymore - their choice is only to be out here," said Gardner.
For providing the spark behind that motivation, Gardner is a Healthy Hero.
"Our feeling is if we start with these children around 2, and they're always eating healthy food and talking about the healthy food and exercisng every day, we want this to be a lifestyle they'll embrace for the rest of their lives," said Gardner.
