From the Pair Up for Health Website

Pair Up for Health is a trail race challenge designed to bring families and friends together on the trail to a healthier lifestyle. Pair Up for Health combines the beauty of the trails at Wildlife Prairie State Park with the challenges of an obstacle course. Running, jogging and walking are all acceptable for Pair Up for Health. In fact, there might even be a little bit of crawling. Any way that you can make it to the finish line is fine. Just get out there and do it!

Pair Up for Health will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012. The race will begin at 8:00 a.m. The children's 1-mile fun run will start at approximately 9:00 a.m. Parents are welcome to jog or walk with their children.

The 2012 registration fee is $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under before May 26. Thereafter, the fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under.

The PeoriaParent.com team members are half-crazy half-marathoners. We love recreational running, and encourage our kids to be excited about it as well. The IVS Kids Running Series on the Proctor Hospital Campus on Monday Nights for $2 is highly recommended, if you haven’t checked it out yet. It’s encouraging with a lot of clapping and “wooting” for the tots to the big kids, followed by cookies, juice, & a ribbon prize. Below is a list of Kiddie Fun Runs (accompanying the grown-up races) in the area to encourage your young runner.

May 19: Family House 5K & Fun Run at Clubs at River City
.25 mile run for 5 yrs & younger
.50 mile run for 6-9 yrs old
$10/kid

June 2: Washington Cherry Festival 5K & 1 mile Fun Run
1 mile fun run: $15/kid

June 2: Holy Family Mile Kids Run (through 8th grade)
1 mile fun run: $15/kid by May 25
Includes a t-shirt & medal

June 9: Pair Up for Health at Wildlife Prairie State Park
1 mile fun run/obstacle course: $10/child before May 26

June 16: Junior Steamboat 4K FUN RUN/WALK
Pre-high school ages
$20/kid

June 23: Extreme Kid Run Obstacle Course in Chillicothe
.5 mile Kids Obstacle Run
Ages 8-13 yrs old
$25/kid

June 22-24: Multi-Sport Extravaganza at Wildlife Prairie State Park

June 30: Kids Dirty Dash for St.Jude in Morton
100 yd dash for 4-6 yr olds
1 mile obstacle course for 7-17 yr olds
All participants will end up in a huge mud pit
$20/kid

As you may have guessed, we LOVE Wildlife Prairie State Park. We highly recommend a membership, especially for the summer. We enjoy the (mostly) shaded trails, and my boys love the train & train room! Both my boys have gone through Knee High Naturalists, and loved it....including playing with worms, scavenger hunts, meeting nocturnal animals like the owl & oppossum, stories, fun snacks, creative crafts, and much more!

Below is info on a $75 Family Membership:

- Unlimited free admission for two named adults and their children ages 17 and under for one year (from the time of your purchase)

- 4 one time admission passes to give to friends

- 6 train tickets

- Special member discounts on educational programs such as day camps, monthly youth groups, raptor handling class; the Park's famous Sunday brunch; lodging; gift shop merchandise; food and events like Wildlife Scary Park.

- An annual subscription to the park's member newsletter THE OUTLOOK.

- Advanced registration for special programs and travel adventures.

- Operated as a not-for-profit Illinois natural heritage park, we are dedicated to the goals of conservation, education, and recreation. We are supported through admission fees, memberships, donations, and grants. Donations, sponsorships, and memberships are tax deductible.

If you are not sold on the memberships, every Wednesday is Carload Wednesday. Fill a van/car with up to 8 people, and get in for $18 total.

From Broad Branch Farms

We are Broad Branch Farm - a local organic family farm growing organic vegetables and raising pastured chickens for eggs and meat, pastured hogs and grass fed grass finished beef. We are growers, consumers, and strong advocates for local organic agriculture. We are raising 3 daughters on the farm and they have learned to appreciate from an early age the amazing food we raise here on the farm. And what we don't raise ourselves, we find local organic farmers who do.

And we share our harvest through a Community Supported Agriculture program or CSA. With delivery to Peoria and Peoria Heights, customers purchase a share of the harvest of vegetables, eggs, and meat. Customers receive a delivery every week or every other week for vegetables and eggs and once a month for the meat shares.

Check out our website for all the details about our 2012 CSA program and read about our growing practices. www.broadbranchfarm.com

Join our email list to get updates when we'll offer extra sales of eggs, meat and vegetables.

Mark your calendar for these awesome Central Illinois family events.

Now-May 20: Be the Dinosaur™ Life in the Cretaceous at Lakeview Library
May 2: Fill a Car/Van Load at Wildlife Prairie State Park for $18
MAy 2: Wheels O’Time Museum Opens for the Season
May 3: Daring Program for Girls at Fondulac Library
May 3: Science Sleuths at PPL- North Branch
May 4: FREE Developmental Screening with Early Childhood Network. 672-6720 for more info.
May 4: IESA Scholastic Bowl State Tournament
May 4: Jump Start Friday Night Fun
May 4-5: Kid’s Consignment Clothing Sale at Expo Gardens
May 5: Book Signing with Jannifer Powelson of “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Forest” at Forest Park Nature Center
May 5: Glad Tidings Church Bike Rodeo (Sponsored by Children's Hospital of IL)
May 5: Annual Drama Festival at the Corn Stock Theatre Tent
May 5: Home Depot Kids Workshop- Build a Planter Box
May 5: Story Time at Fired Up! 101 Dalmations
May 6: Central Illinois Riding Therapy 24th Annual Benefit Horse Show
May 7: IVS Kids Running Series
May 7-13: Children's Book Week Book Making Kits at Peoria Public Libraries
May 9: Fill a Car/Van Load at Wildlife Prairie State Park for $18 (Every Wednesday)
May 10-12: Fireman's Carnival on Main Street in Havana, IL
May 11: National Public Gardens Day- FREE Admission at Luthy Botanical Garden
May 11: Jump Start Jungle Jamboree
May 11: Peoria Chiefs Game- Anti-Bullying Awareness Day
May 11-12: Community Children’s Theatre Auditions for “Guys and Dolls”
May 12: FREE Build & Grow Clinic at Lowes: Picture Frame Planter
May 12: 8th Annual Peoria Heights Art Fair
May 12: Parent's Night Out at Jump Start Gymnastics
May 12: Kids in Motion at Jump Start Gymnastics
May 12: Local Children's Author Wayne Miller at PPL- Lakeview Branch
May 12: Peoria Chiefs Game- Star Wars Night
May 13: Mother’s Day at the Zoo: FREE Admission for Moms
May 13: Mother’s Day Orchid Show at Luthy Botanical Garden
May 13: Peoria Chiefs Game- Family Fun in the SUNdays; Moms FREE
May 14: IVS Kids Running Series
May 14: Jump Start Jungle Jamboree
May 15: Preschoolers Can Cook, Too! at Fondulac Library
May 16: Fill a Car/Van Load at Wildlife Prairie State Park for $18 (Every Wednesday)
May 17: PPL- Lincoln Branch Puppet Show: “Monster Reads”
May 17-20: UKC Dog Show at Expo Gardens
May 18: Celebrating Children's Authors Series: at PPL- Lakeview Branch
May 18: Jump Start Friday Night Fun
May 18: HOWLIN' WITH THE WOLVES at Wildlife Prairie State Park
May 19: Clyde West Fishing Derby at Glen Oak Park Lagoon
May 19: Board Game Saturday at PPL- North Branch
May 20: Mud Bog Races at Expo Gardens
May 21: IVS Kids Running Series
May 21: Communication Junction Sign and Playgroup at Created Just by Me
May 21: Goodnight Moon Pajama Storytime at PPL- North Branch
May 21: Open Registration for American Red Cross Babysitting Class on June 6 at Fondulac Library
May 23: Fill a Car/Van Load at Wildlife Prairie State Park for $18 (Every Wednesday)
May 25: Jump Start Jungle Jamboree
May 25: BUTTERFLY BASICS at Wildlife Prairie State Park
May 25: Louie Louie Festival at the Peoria River Front
May 26: Peoria ZooFest
May 26: Kids in Motion at Jump Start Gymnastics
May 26: Opening Day at Splashdown
May 26: FREE Build & Grow Clinic at Lowes: Ice Cream Truck
May 26: Pine Cone Bird Feeders at Forest Park Nature Center
May 26: River Spirit Flute Circle at Forest Park Nature Center
May 27: Peoria Chiefs Game- Sesame Street Day
May 27: Pioneer Days at Sommer Park
May 28: IVS Kids Running Series
May 28: Memorial Day Celebration at Marshall Plaza in the Peoria River Front
May 29: Family Free Day at Fon du Lac Farm Park (FREE every Tuesday, starting May 29)
May 30: Fill a Car/Van Load at Wildlife Prairie State Park for $18 (Every Wednesday)
May 30: Communication Junction Sign & Sing Story Time at Eli’s Coffee Shop
May 30: “The Streets Belong to Me” Summer Youth Rally
May 30:Opening Day at Lakeview Family Aquatic Center
May 30- June 2: Washington Cherry Festival

Currently, our calendar is under construction. For additional ideas, visit the PeoriaParent.com blogs.

Central Illinois Riding Therapy 24th Annual Benefit Horse Show
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Show starts at 9:00 a.m.
Heart of Illinois Arena, Rt. 29, Peoria, IL
RAIN OR SHINE
www.cirt.info

Mission Statement of CIRT
To promote the well-being of persons with disabilities through the provisions
of horseback riding and other related activities within a safe and enjoyable
atmosphere designed by professionals and implemented primarily by volunteers.

Who CIRT Serves
Approximately ninety students per year ride at CIRT, ranging in age from three to
adult, with a variety of physical, emotional, and mental disabilities including:
Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, visual and hearing impairments, learning
disabilities, head trauma, strokes, and others.

Benefits of Therapeutic Riding
· Increased balance, strength and flexibility
· Increased ability to process information
· Independence and self-confidence
· Improved language and communication skills
· For movement impaired disabilities, horseback riding mimics the human
motion of walking in a way unreplicated by any equipment
· Increased quality of life—it’s FUN!!

From Peoria County Website

Asthma is a long-term, inflammatory disease in which the airways of the lungs constrict, causing wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. In Peoria County 12.8% of the residents have been diagnosed with asthma and 11.5% report having at least one asthma symptom a week. Asthma is the fourth most common reason for pediatric physician office visits and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. In response to these alarming statistics and in an effort to raise public awareness of the risks faced everyday by people living with asthma, the Peoria City/County Health Department urges residents to observe World Asthma Day on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 by learning more about controlling the factors that affect people with asthma.

There is no clear cause of asthma, but many risk factors have been linked to triggering asthma attacks. Individuals are more likely to have asthma if there is a family history of the disease and there are several biological and environmental factors that can trigger an asthma attack. Common allergens include pollen, dust mites, secondhand tobacco smoke, pesticides, cockroaches, bacteria, molds, animal hair, and animal dander. Allergens can also come from food and food additives. Studies have shown that common additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), can cause an asthma attack.

Symptoms of an asthma attack can include frequent coughing and wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. These symptoms may occur alone or in combination with other symptoms. A sign that asthma may be present, especially in children, is an excessive number of chest colds or episodes of pneumonia. Because these symptoms are common to other illnesses, asthma is often difficult to diagnose. Recognizing and reducing the frequency and severity of symptoms can help prevent further damage to the lungs.

Although asthma is not curable at this time, changes in lifestyle and proper medication can reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. The following are some steps you can take to help control asthma:

- Keep your home clean.
- Properly maintain heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems by regularly changing filters and cleaning humidifiers. Use high efficiency particle filters to remove particles from the indoor environment.
- Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Relative humidity in the home should be kept at less than 60 percent. If humidifiers are used in the home, change the water daily and clean the tank weekly to prevent growth of bacteria and mold.
- Do not allow cigarette smoking in your home. - Avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible.
- Refrain from exercising outdoors during cold weather. During windy weather or after light rain, time outdoors should be limited because pollen counts may be high.
- Develop an asthma action plan to help prevent symptoms and to recognize them if they occur and to know what medicine to take and when to take it.

From ivs.org

Opening day – Monday, May 7
Proctor Hospital Fitness Path
Registration begins at 5:30
Pre-run stretching begins at 5:50
Running begins at 6:00
Fee is $2.00 weekly per runner or $5.00 for families of 3 or more.

The IVS kids series returns this May offering area children a fun, non-competitive introduction to the sport of running. Our emphasis is on participation, complete with finish line, individual times, finishing ribbons and refreshments. (Cookies & juice provided by Proctor Hospital) Everyone’s a
winner just by finishing.

The series is held weekly on Monday evening on the Proctor Hospital Fitness Path. The
series begins on Monday, May 7 through Monday, June 25.

Runners may choose to run ¼ mi, ½ mi, or 1 mile and are free to run as many times as
they want.

Children who run 3 or more Mondays in a single month will earn a special reward from
the Striders – a T-Shirt, Hat or other signature item.

All Kids ages 12 and under are eligible to participate. No minimum age requirement.
Little ones welcome! Runners are grouped together by age to ensure safety and compatibility.

For more info, visit ivs.org