The Fall River Children In Balance (CIB) program that is replicating the Shape Up Somerville childhood obesity prevention project held its ninth "Farmers' Market" event at the Spencer Borden Elementary School on May 25, 2010. Over 300 parents and children were taught how to prepare healthy dishes by health educators from the University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education. They were also invited to dance to the tune of the song "Y.M.C.A." in the gymnasium and to attend a community marketplace with displays by a dozen local agencies as well as fresh fruits and vegetables from .Coutinho Orchards. Ten families also received two free bags full of healthy food in a door prize drawing. Click here to see the  video of the event. Click to see photos of similar events at the Doran Elementary School, the Fonseca Elementary School, the Greene Elementary School, the Letourneau Elementary School, the Silvia Elementary School, the Tansey Elementary School, the Viveiros Elementary School and the Watson Elementary School. The Children In Balance project promotes Healthy Activity Active Time (HEAT) Clubs that are are run in twelve after-school programs.  For further information about the project, contact Project Manager Marcia Picard at 508-324-2228.

(Top row, left) Colleen Kublin gets help from her mother while second-grader Alexis prints his own name tag at the registration table. (Top row, center) Children In Balance project director Marcia Picard welcomes over 300 parents and children to the event at the Spencer Borden School. (Top row, right) Annie Ruth, in her purple tee shirt, joins the group in dancing to "Y.M.C.A.". (Middle row, left) University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program nutrition educators Jessica Riccardi and Lindsay Magan pose questions to the children about the food pyramid that they learned about earlier in the year in the school's HEAT Club activities. (Middle row, right) Spencer Borden Assistant Principal Michael Ward gets help from his wife, Alicia, in sampling a healthy snack made from sautéed onions and peppers. (Bottom row, left) Maria and Anthony Coutinho of Coutinho Orchards in Berkley, MA, offer farm-fresh foods during the Common Market session. (Bottom row, center) Sheila DeAlmeida and Vivian Souza speak with Lisa DeMello of the Southcoast Stroke Prevention Project. (Bottom row, right) Dawn Harford and Sharon Macumber stand behind Chyna and Destin Harford as they hold a bag of apples, part of a $50 grocery door prize that they and nine other families won at the end of the evening.