Let's Move STL Flash Mob - May 3, 2019

Saint Louis Public School District (SLPS) students in elementary and middle grade levels continue to take steps to improve their health and combat obesity. The fifth annual Let’s Move! STL Move Your Body Flash Mob will take place to help them along their journey. The entire metropolitan community is invited to join in the Move Your Body fun on Friday May 3, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. on the Ford Plaza in Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals!

Students at all SLPS elementary schools and select middle schools will join together for a synchronized dance routine. The event is sponsored by Let's Move! STL, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative, in partnership with SLPS, the City of St. Louis Department of Health, BJC School Outreach and Youth Development, COCA, -Center of Creative Arts, Aetna, a CVS business, and Saint Louis University’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.   

Last year’s flash mob was a huge success, with approximately 52,000 students, teachers, and community partners statewide spending the morning engaged in fun and physical activity. Students have been dusting off their dancing shoes from the four previous years and are ready to perform not one, not two, but three dance routines. They will perform Beyonce’s “Move Your Body” routine, the “Gimme 5” dance to Kidz Bop’s “Uptown Funk,” and the newly choreographed “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” routine, choreographed by advanced students from COCA.  

“Programs like Let's Move! STL and AIM for Fitness continue to help SLPS tackle the issue of childhood obesity with a focus on nutrition, physical activity and teaching students about the importance of embracing a healthy, active lifestyle. Each year brings exciting new ideas and fresh opportunities, as we continue to make progress and encourage healthy behavior change,” said Leanne White, project director for Saint Louis Public Schools.

“The partnerships and collaborations that are budding out of these health-minded programs are very beneficial. Not only are they sustainable, but the collaborations are allowing for engagement of individuals from all levels, from those who are directly impacted by the programs to those who make the policies and final decisions about the programs. I truly feel it is a holistic approach,” said Erica Oliver, a community health partner with BJC School Outreach and Youth Development.

Additionally, “Let’s Move! STL enjoys being a part of the growing interest for health and physical activity in the Saint Louis Public Schools,” said Lauren Landfried, the Let’s Move! STL Flash Mob coordinator for the City of St. Louis Department of Health. “The partnerships that have been created from this annual event continue to prove essential to making the St. Louis community healthier.” 

For more information about the flash mob on May 3, 2019, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative or Let’s Move! STL, please contact:

M. Leanne White, Project Director – Saint Louis Public Schools
Margaret.White@slps.org
314-345-4403

Lauren Landfried, Let’s Move! STL Flash Mob Coordinator – City of St. Louis Department of Health
landfriedl@stlouis-mo.gov
314-657-1549

Erica Oliver, Community Health Partner – BJC School Outreach and Youth Development
Erica.Oliver@bjc.org
314-286-0539

About Healthy Schools Healthy Communities

Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) empowers communities to build a healthier future for children and families across Missouri. An initiative of Missouri Foundation for Health, HSHC brings together schools, community organizations, businesses, parents, and residents to identify and push for changes that increase access to healthy food and physical activity where our kids live, learn and play. Saint Louis Public Schools and BJC School Outreach and Youth Development are co-leading the HSHC initiative in the City of St. Louis, currently targeting the Carr Square, Carondelet, Greater Ville, Forest Park Southeast, Shaw, Fountain Park, and Bevo Mill communities.

About Let’s Move! STL

Let’s Move! STL is a comprehensive initiative to combat and solve the challenge of obesity and diseases related to poor diet and fitness by leveraging community resources, coordinating partnerships and engaging the community towards the goal of zero obesity by 2020. The City of St. Louis Department of Health is the lead coordinating agency for Let’s Move! STL.

About Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS)

Saint Louis Public Schools has been preparing students for a bright future since 1838. The District serves approximately 22,000 children in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. With nearly 70 schools and programs, including Magnet and Choice schools, SLPS has a school to fit every child’s needs. For more information about SLPS, visit the District’s website at www.slps.org or follow the District on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook.

About BJC School Outreach and Youth Development 

BJC School Outreach and Youth Development, a division of BJC HealthCare, provides health prevention education and career exploration opportunities for students. It offers programs to equip young people with the information and skills they need to become health literate, increase academic performance and reduce high-risk behavior.