Winning Video: Run, Chicago, Run!

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Alicia Gonzalez of Chicago Run
Alicia Gonzalez of Chicago Run

Alicia Gonzalez wanted kids to run—a desire that turned into Chicago Run, an group that has gotten more than 16,000 kids moving.

Now she’s won the Salud America! #SaludHeroes voting contest!

Read Gonzalez’s story or watch her winning video about how she identified the problem of unfit kids, planned for and mobilized change, and took actions that are helping Latino kids stay fit across Chicago through daily running activities, online mileage trackers, incentives and citywide running events.

“I think the excited part of watching Chicago Run over the past six-and-a-half years is that it’s really started to engage our communities,” Gonzalez said. “It’s very simple, easily replicated, and it’s not intimidating.

“A lot of our kids are coming home and they’re feeling better about themselves because they’re being physically active to create a healthy body.”

Go here to learn how to make similar changes in your town!

Salud America! is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded research network on Latino childhood obesity based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Salud America! runs a periodic voting contest for its videos of Salud Heroes, people who have made healthy changes. Contest voters are entered into a random drawing for a prize, and winning Salud Heroes get a social media and e-shout-out. Learn more here.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

20.7

percent

of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)

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