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Professional Balloon Artist Santana Holbert makes balloon art for the kids. Holbert made various shapes like a rabbit, giraffe, flowers and more, showcasing her talent.
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Ilaria Villa, sophomore kinesiology major, paints a pot at the stall, “pot a plant.” She then planted a small indoor plant in her pot after the paint dried.
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The staff members of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center pose for a picture. The purpose of this event was to promote the rec and student health.
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Gannon Minnick, user services administrator (left), and David Albertson, graduate of washburn (right) compete with each other in a fitness challenge. Each of the participants got a prize afterwards.
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A little kid plays with obstacle cones and her parents cheer her on. The obstacle courses were prepared by the kinesiology department for their WU Moves stall.
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Taylor Redington, sophomore forensic science major and community garden president (right), helps Michaela Sounders, community garden co-advisor (left), to pick a plant. There were various options of plants for the participants to choose from.
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An attendee at the Well Fit @ WU event tests her grip strength at the rec stall. The staff members assisted her in various other activities that were available at their stall.
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Anna-Marie McIntyre, senior art major, face paints one of the attendees at the event. McIntyre did various types of painting on people’s faces throughout the event.
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Participants wait for the food in the food stall. The food stall had different Mexican-style foods.
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Children compete with each other playing hula-hoops. The children enjoyed the obstacle course while having a competitive match against each other.
The Washburn Student Recreation and Wellness Center, along with the kinesiology department, other clubs and local businesses, organized the Well Fit @ WU event on April 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the east lawn of Memorial Union, where many students from Washburn University and the Topeka community participated.
There were food trucks, face painting, fitness challenges, inflatables, giveaways, plant potting and different activities for the people to enjoy.
Evelyn Spangler, wellness coordinator and yoga instructor, states that the purpose of the event was to build community around general health and wellness, being the reason for the event was free for the Topeka community and all attendees.
Spangler describes various activities at the event, including those organized by the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and the kinesiology department, along with the Washburn Community Garden and Ecobots, two different student organizations, which were involved in a planting positivity station, which had different activities for the attendees to enjoy.
Taylor Redington, a sophomore forensic science major and president of the community garden, stated that the event included a community garden club where participants were able to paint flower pots and plant seeds, promoting environmental and mental wellness.
Redington described the initiative of holding their stall in the event.
“You’re planting a plant, and also mental wellness. Painting can be a great stress reliever. And also having a plant in your room or in your office is a great way to get some green in a space,” Redington said.
There were lots of activities to choose from. The attendees participated in the balloon artwork made by the professional balloon artist, Santana Holbert. Similarly, there was a face painting stall where Anna-Marie McIntyre, a senior art major, did face paintings for all the interested participants.
Similarly, the rec and the kinesiology department had various wellness and fitness activities for the attendees to choose from, where they gave away free stuff to all the participants who participated in their activities and challenges.
Park Lockwood, professor from the kinesiology department, described the collaboration with the rec as creating a fun, healthy day filled with fitness activities and games. To make the activities more engaging, the team decided to create an obstacle course where participants were able to race and compete. Similarly, additional health measurements like blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation were also available for participants.
“We got balance stuff, and over the other direction, we got movement and resistance stuff and like your steps for step aerobics,” Lockwood said.
The event featured a variety of recreational activities, along with challenges that emphasized strength and fitness. Participants took part in a healthy and interactive competition on the east side of the Memorial Union lawn, fostering teamwork and physical engagement.This showdown brought together the Topeka community and the Ichabods for a day filled with action, laughter and camaraderie.
Edited by Stuti Khadka and Jayme Thompson
