For the third year in a row, Slidell Memorial Hospital and St. Tammany Fire District 1 will teach skills for a healthy lifetime during “Fit as a Firefighter,” a free weeklong summer camp aimed at children battling weight problems.

The goal of the program is to build self-esteem and teach nutrition and exercise skills to local children ages 7 to 12 who are overweight. Scheduled for June 22 to 26, the camp was honored with an American Heart Association “Community Fitness Innovation Award” and an “Innovator of the Year Award” from New Orleans CityBusiness magazine.

Also participating in the program are Slidell Police SWAT and K9 teams, Louisiana State Troopers, Junior Auxiliary of Slidell, CrossGates Family Fitness, Acadian Ambulance, Rotary Clubs of Slidell and Northshore and the Louisiana National Guard. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Tammany Fire District 1 Fire Training Academy located at Camp Villere. The program includes daily nutrition and fitness classes by a certified dietician and fitness trainers. According to Camp Director Taffy Morrison, a parent educator with the hospital’s Parenting Center, the camp is about more than just nutrition. The children also learn personal safety, including CPR and first aid training, boating and community safety.

Plus, there are fun fitness activities such as karate, dancing, a cooking class, as well as water and firefighter games.

“This program is an opportunity to learn new behaviors that will contribute to the health and well-being of the children in our region in a safe and supportive environment,” Morrison said. “It is a chance to teach them the many different and fun ways they can become active, which we hope will contribute to an increased level of activity for years to come.”

This year the series will expand with the introduction of a new program, Trim Kids, a six-week summer program that will meet two hours per class twice a week beginning June 2.

Trim Kids is an in-depth way to learn lifelong strategies about nutrition, exercise, and attitudes that encourage healthy lifestyles. Each two-hour session includes simple fitness activities and games similar to those at camp, snacking and eating tips, recipes, behavior modification and family interaction, along with field trips. Parents can also learn healthy eating and fitness strategies the entire family can embrace.

Classes are limited to the first 25 participants, age 7 to 13, who sign up. The program fee is $25 for the entire six weeks, plus a $10 handbook fee.

Registration packets for Fit as a Firefighter can be picked up at CrossGates Family Fitness Youth Activity Center located at 200 N. Military in Slidell. For more information on either Trim Kids or the camp contact Morrison at 649-8529.