Hundreds of Collins Garden Elementary School students got a personal pep talk about fitness from San Antonio-based firefighters, police officers, military veterans and other government representatives as part of the citys Heroes for Health program.

The initiative, organized by the Bexar County School Boards Coalition, was introduced at public elementary schools in the county March 19, bringing a variety of servicemen and women together with government and health officials who helped lead students in an interactive series of exercises.

Collins Garden, according to Mayors Leadership Council member Jeff Skelton, was a great example of just how much support the program gathered this year.

On a day like this, were not only promoting health and fitness but bringing our heroes out to be great leaders for these kids, Skelton said. They look up to these firefighters, these military (members), these police officers, and to see these leaders encouraging healthy behavior to these kids, it really goes a long way.

Not many initiatives bring together this many school districts, Skelton added.

Every school district is partnering on this thats really unique, he explained. When you look at that, and also the support of the military, our firefighters, and our (other) heroes to come out and basically give the one simple message to our community to exercise, to eat their fruits and vegetables, and to drink more water. Its simple, but having them (here) makes a big difference.

One of those heroes was Navy Hospital Foreman Linda Villalobos, who went to Collins Garden as a kid, graduated from Burbank High school and has served in the Armed Forces for 23 years. Villalobos said she joined the Heroes for Health platform to help encourage kids from her neighborhood to stay on track toward a healthy adulthood.

I try not to use the word exercise people dont really like that word because it seems like work, Villalobos noted. Just go out there and do some kind of activity with your friends and have fun.

Collins Garden physical education teacher Roxanne Sarabia has taught at the school for about nine years. Shes spent much of her time at the school helping organize fitness clubs for students as motivation to eat healthy and play safely throughout the school year. Having the Heroes for Health lineup of role models was a boost to what she teaches, Sarabia said.

We always talk to them about how, no matter what profession you are, if youre healthy, youre going to be successful, she said.

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Heroes for Health a hit at Collins Garden