It’s time to play, RVA. But first, Advanced Orthopaedics and Ortho On-Call are asking you to break out those gently used cleats, dust off the golf clubs, and reach deep into the closet for that catcher’s mitt you haven’t used in years. Launched this summer, the community-minded docs at Richmond-based Advanced Orthopaedics and Ortho On-Call have rallied around a cause they’ve pegged as the AdvanceItUp! initiative to benefit Greater Richmond Fit4Kids.

In September the organization will begin collecting sports equipment to distribute to area kids who don’t have access to usable sports equipment. The goal is simple-all kids deserve a chance to play. Advanced Orthopaedics and Ortho On-Call will provide the donated equipment to underserved, local children as a way to increase recreation options and active living at home and school. The 35-plus physicians that make up Advanced Orthopaedics and Ortho On-Call, along with volunteers, plan to collect, organize, and clean the equipment before distribution.

“Advanced Orthopaedics is excited to have yet another way to give back to the community with AdvanceItUp,” explains Dr. Kenneth Zaslav, president of Advanced Orthopaedics and a Sports Medicine Specialist. “Our goal is a more active and healthy youth in Richmond achieved by providing gently used sporting equipment to area children lacking the resources. This will help make group sports and organized physical activity a more regular occurrence in their lives.”Greater Richmond Fit4Kids, a non-profit organization created to improve the health and wellness of children by increasing physical activity and promoting healthy eating, will use the donated equipment to improve the health of local children and continue its fight to reduce childhood obesity.

In order to increase the physical activity of school children in elementary schools, Fit4Kids currently offers three core programs: Recess Coaching, Wellness Integration, and Learning Gardens. To continue to execute these programs successfully, the organization plans to immediately use the youth sports equipment donated by the AdvanceItUp! initiative. Advanced Orthopaedics and Ortho On-Call will accept most types of gently used sporting equipment-from soccer gear and shin guards to badminton rackets, tennis rackets, and ball hoppers. Collection points for donations, accepted in mid-September, will be Advanced Orthopaedics on Shrader Road and both Ortho On-Call locations, as well as in the Science Museum of Virginia, the location of the Greater Richmond Fit4Kids office. For more information, www.advancedortho.me.

GET ACTIVE
Fit4Kids strives to improve the health and wellness of children by increasing physical activity and promoting proper nutrition. From creating school gardens to educating children with activities to get them moving, Fit4Kids creates hands-on experiences that keep local children happy and healthy. What’s better is that the lessons that these children are taught will continue on into their adulthood. Though it may cause aching joints in the long run, that can be resolved by deciding to buy CBD capsules from somewhere like Vibes CBD, they will know that they are doing everything in their power to ensure that their health and wellness is one of their main priorities going forward. And it all starts here. Fit4Kids also implements Wellness Integration programs to empower elementary classroom teachers so they are motivated, skilled, and comfortable integrating physical activity and nutrition information into the core curriculum. Wellness Integration has been well received by administrators and teachers-75 percent of teachers at schools with the program report using the strategies the specialists have taught.

STAY WELL
Advanced Orthopaedics has added a new Sports Performance and Wellness Institute on its campus at Shrader Road led by Bob Blanton, a former Olympian. This state-of-the-art facility combines sports-specific athletic training, sports psychology, and nutrition services in the supervised setting of a 10,000-square-foot training facility. The goal for the center is to help young athletes maximize performance and help teams and coaches prevent injuries.