The Partners Soda-free Campaign traveled to the Boys & Girls Club of Fall River's Camp Welch in nearby Assonet on August 24, 2015 to urge campers to reduce or eliminate soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. This was part of an ongoing effort to educate children and adults that soda is one of the largest sources of empty calories that contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Sugars from soda and other foods are also a major contributor to tooth decay. Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard and Worksite Wellness Coordinator Angela Bras posed a series of questions to three age-grouped teams with the winning team eligible to send a plate full of shaving cream into Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Peter McCarthy's face. The questions covered a range of information about sugar and other nutritional concerns, but the teams were, for the most part, able to respond to them correctly. "I think these kids are getting the message that added sugar in any form is not good, and the less consumed the better," noted Picard. Director McCarthy pointed out that the Camp has not served soda in years and actively works to provide nutritious food to campers. Click here to see a 28-minute video of the presentation. Click here for photos of last year's presentation. For more information, contact School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard at 774-526-7149.

(Top row) Campers assemble for the presentation in three groups, the youngest Cardinals, the middle-age Blue Jays, and the older Eagles. (Row two) Campers respond to a series of easy warm-up questions posed by Partners School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard. (Row three) Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Peter McCarthy lines up the teams before introducing Ms. Picard. (Row four) Camp counselors assist their respective teams respond to questions posed by Partners Worksite Wellness Coordinator Angie Bras and Ms. Picard. (Row five) Campers shout out their answers before picking a representative from each team to assist in tossing the shaving cream "pie" at Mr. McCarthy. (Row six) The Eagles winning team representative gets to toss the "pie" in Mr. McCarthy's face. (Bottom row) Camper Samanha Hutchinson holds up the can of shaving cream and the container with the 53 teaspoons of sugar that are in each two-liter bottle of soda and Ms. Picard responds to a camper's question after the presentation.