Keep your keiki safe and well.Do you think your little bundle of joy has what it takes to be crowned Maui’s Healthiest Baby for 2008?
If so, grab the diaper bag and crawl to Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon for the 10th Annual Meadow Gold Dairies Maui Healthy Baby Contest.
In celebration of October as National Children’s Health Month, little tikes between 12 and 24 months will have a chance to participate in this free and fun event for the whole family. The statewide Healthy Baby Contests are opportunities for proud parents to show off their keiki in an event that promotes the importance of good health at an early age.
KPOA Morning Goddess Alaka‘i Paleka and John Tomoso, executive director of Hui No Ke Ola Pono, will host a day full of exciting and healthy activities. Hui No Ke Ola Pono is a private, nonprofit community healthcare and enhancement organization that works within a “standard of conduct that reflects Hawaiian values.”
The health center—in collaboration with Meadow Gold Dairies—will host the first ever Children’s Health and Safety Fair in conjunction with the baby contest. Hui No Ke Ola Pono staff members will be available to answer questions and educate parents on the importance of their child’s health. They will present hapai (prenatal) education, along with guidelines for eating healthy for all ages and a hula-hoop contest to get everyone’s heart rate moving.
The March of Dimes will also be on-hand with health education for kids, and the Maui Police Department, along with Safe Communities of Maui (SCM), will provide car seat inspections. The Maui County Fair Department and SCM will offer keiki identification cards, giving parents a little less to worry about.
There will also be a hands-on booth, “Keiki Kitchen Safety,” where little ones can have fun—and learn about germs at the same time.
Moms can visit the plant garden to try to find something beautiful to spruce up the home and also grab an ice cream sample or two from the Meadow Gold Dairies’ booth. Yummy!
Wayne Watkins—better known as “Uncle Wayne” to the keiki—will perform at noon. Watch Uncle Wayne get your kids grooving with his guitar and amusing sing-alongs. Watkins is the president of the Hawaiian Association for Education of Young Children, and is devoted to “improving the well-being of all young children,” concentrating on the development and education of children up to age eight.
The Maui Academy of Performing Arts, Judy’s Gang and Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool will also perform throughout the day.
The first 125 babies registered will compete for the top spot in the crib. The top baby and four other lucky winners will receive valuable prizes including U.S. Savings Bonds, gas coupons from Minit Stop and logo items from Meadow Gold Dairies.
Each contestant will receive a complimentary 8-by-10 inch photograph, courtesy of Red Door Portrait Design in the mall. Parents will have the option to purchase more copies at a special price.
Parents can complete the application form or may have their little ones leave their mark on it if they like! Parents are asked to write a short statement describing, “What makes your child Maui’s Healthiest Baby?”
Applications are available at the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center Customer Service Center as well as select Mint Stop locations island-wide. Mail completed applications to Meadow Gold Dairies at 55 S. Wakea Ave. in Kahului, HI 96732. For more information, call (808) 878-1888.