Two WC freshmen advocate health, fitness

Pictured is West Central freshmen Brianna Morey and Ashley Buzynski (front, l-r) are pictured with their mentor, Katie Lay, of the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness team. (Janell Bradley photo)

Janell Bradley
Contributing Writer

A pair of freshmen at West Central hope to plant the seeds of good health – both literally and figuratively.

Brianna Morey and Ashley Buzynski gave a presentation to their school's board of education recently, describing their interest in building a greenhouse on school property.

The girls and their mentor, Katie Lay of the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness team, told board members that wellness committee members made a presentation outlining the steps they've taken to increase awareness of healthy lifestyles at West Central.

Buzynski said she and Morey have been teaching the UNI 'Interlude' dance and the party rock anthem to young children at their school.

"It gets them out of their seats for a little bit and moving around," she said. As a follow-up, it's hoped to have a dance marathon for students near the end of the school year.

Through NIFF, a snack cart has been initiated at the school, offering yogurt, fruit and healthful refreshments to students who remain at the school for activities. The girls also conducted a lunch survey and then passed the results on to school cooks.

A long-term goal for the girls, who are also regional representatives on the NIFF team, is to see their school have a greenhouse.

Grants are being sought from at least six sources, Katie Lay told the school board. A greenhouse would promote the use of fresh produce in school lunches, as salad greens could be grown in an extended season.

"It wouldn't be heated," explained Lay, "so the estimated cost to construct it would be about $4,800."

She said the grants being sought exceed that amount, so the group hopes that if even just two or three grants are awarded, the entire cost of construction will be covered.

The board learned that proceeds from the snack cart sales are designed to sustain the ongoing operation of the greenhouse.

Buzynski and Morey said the greenhouse would be a way to start seeds, the plants from which could eventually be sent home with young children to encourage planting in their own home gardens. It would also allow for an earlier start on vegetables grown in the school garden, according to Lay.

The board agreed that if the project is funded through grants, a greenhouse could be constructed on school property at a site to be determined.