San Antonio School Starts Wellness Campaign



After watching some middle-schoolers use soda machines to buy “lunch,” Principal Dr. John Kennedy decided that changes were needed at St. Anthony Catholic School in the predominantly Latino city of San Antonio, Texas. He was approached by some parents who also were interested in addressing student health, and the Mi Vida (My Life) wellness campaign was born. Mi Vida is an acronym for a short poem they wrote: My life includes Veggies, fruits & fun in meals with everyone, daily walks or climbing trees, and learning at St. Anthony’s! The motto of Mi Vida is “Play Often. Eat Well.” “The paths toward healthy minds, bodies, and spirit are interconnected, and achieving this overall health is part of our community goals at St. Anthony’s,” said Dr. Kennedy. ...

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Story: Rafael Chavez, A ‘Touchdown’ for Health



Rafael Chavez, a master sergeant at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, was destined to be a Dallas Cowboys fan growing up in Mission, Texas, where Coach Tom Landry was born a legend. He even spent $75 on a Landry football card from the 1960s. Unlike his clean-cut hero Landry, though, Chavez had a blemish – he was a smoker. He started smoking at age 15. He was a regular smoker by 18. Now years later, Chavez decided to start over and quit smoking for good. He’s been smokeless for six months – and he says he feels like he has scored a Super Bowl touchdown. “[It’s like] scoring in the Super Bowl; you’re not doing it for the fans. You’re not doing it for anyone. You’re doing it for yourself because the reason you smoke is for yourself. You have to do it for yourself ...

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