Published: December 03, 2007 11:54 am      

Mineral health plan dances on

KEYSER - Plans are progressing to get some of Mineral County's students on their feet and moving to the beat.

According to Gerri Mason, chairwoman of the Healthy Lifestyles for Youths Subcommittee of the Healthy Mineral County Coalition, she has been working with Superintendent of Schools Skip Hackworth and Assistant Superintendent Pat Mason to bring Dance Dance Revolution equipment into some of the county's schools.

The equipment, which directs the participant in various dance steps using video equipment and a coded pad on the floor, could be used for after- school programs and, in some cases, as part of the physical education curriculum.

"The kids are really excited about it," Gerri Mason said, noting that both Hackworth and Pat Mason have expressed their gratitude for the program.

With the school system supplying some of the television sets to hook the equipment up, she said the Healthy Mineral County Coalition will now be able to purchase more DDR machines than they had anticipated.

"We'll probably be able to involve a couple more grades, too," she said.

The Healthy Mineral County Coalition and the Mineral County Family Resource Network, of which Gerri Mason is executive director, are able to purchase the equipment through a $5,000 grant.

Once the equipment is in use at the schools, Mason said she plans to survey the participants to "see how they feel about it and how much they think it has helped them."

"We're interested in finding out if they've noticed a difference in their health," she said.

Mason said she has already been holding DDR competitions through FRN, and the game has been quite popular with the teens.

"We've also taken the game around and set them up at various health fairs," said Catherine Whitworth of the West Virginia Wellness Council. "The kids have really enjoyed it."

In other items discussed during Tuesday's Healthy Mineral County meeting, Denise Schneider of the Smoking Cessation Subcommittee noted that although they haven't had an overwhelming success with their cessation classes, they are planning to start another one Jan. 2.

"We're hoping this will go along with people's New Year's resolution to quit smoking," she said.

Schneider said the subcommittee also plans to set up informational booths at various health fairs, festivals and other events to distribute information promoting quitting smoking.

"It's really a struggle getting someone to quit," she admitted.

Coalition member Mary Kaye Staggers said that there may be people out there who have been reached by the coalition's message "and you'll never know that they quit smoking."

"Nicotine addiction is a chronic relapsing disease," chairman Dr. Wayne Spiggle said.

"I think we just need to keep plugging away."

The Healthy Mineral County Coalition will meet again at noon Jan. 22. West Virginia University Extension Agent Margaret Miltenberger will present a program on Heart Talks, which trains people to speak on the topic of women and heart disease.

Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.