Kinesiology Week Raises Awareness of Organ Donation

If you saw all the blue and green balloons at Fitness World North Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, they were for Kinesiology Week October 19th – 24th, 2009. On October 21st we opened our doors to celebrate Kinesiology Week, Lifemoves’ second anniversary and the achievements of our clients.

At the front doors of Fitness World we set-up several tables. One was for Beyond H2O who compared total dissolved solids in their water to that of others. They also precipitated these solids so that the audience could see what was in the dissolved in the water.

We hosted Margaret Benson and the Canadian Transplant Association. Margaret brought books full of photos of her motivating life and the medals won at various transplant games to show while she spoke to people about the value of being an organ donor. As clients and guests arrived, we also introduced them to Sven Winter, an aspiring Olympic Champion.

The Lifemoves table was full of great tidbits, including BCAK brochures explaining who Kinesiologists are, Lifemoves’ information explaining some of our services and some neat stickers for people to take home as an appreciation for coming. We also presented a slideshow showcasing the development of Lifemoves, client achievements and our services. At the end of our table the door prize box sat waiting for people to enter for their chance to win many fabulous prizes that were generously donated by businesses on the North Shore. A North Shore News photographer was gracious enough to attend and take a photo of Sahba and Alfred at the Lifemoves’ table before he had to dash off to another event happening that same evening.

Presentations started with Margaret Benson telling her very moving story of how she was once read her last rights due to her struggle with Cystic Fibrosis. Now she is a double lung transplant recipient, motivational speaker, accomplished athlete, and a dedicated teacher and advocate for organ donation.

The crowd started to grow around our make shift auditorium in the personal training studio as Sven Winter, another sponsored athlete, compared ski cross to a combination of downhill skiing and wrestling. He also revealed that until starting Fascial Stretching sessions he wasn’t aware that his heel spurs were limiting his performance. He is always finding ways to help others reach their dreams as he pursues his goal of Olympic Gold.

Celebratory branded cupcakes sat next to a nutritious vegetable platter for people to snack on. We finished with a bit of chemistry. Stephen Bohn of Beyond H2O, had a bit of difficulty with his battery for the dissolved solids demo (look on the side of the bottle for ‘TDS’), however he was able to reveal what was in some of the common bottled water we drink and compared it to Beyond H2O, which is produced in Richmond. Unfortunately a miscommunication between us and Beyond H2O meant there wasn’t any product for sale to raise money for the Canadian Transplant Association — something we will correct for next year.

Overall, we had over 30 people attend our open house and 40 more take part in the prize drawing. Prize winners have been notified. Some comments included “I didn’t know you were here in Fitness World, I usually go straight to the Ladies Area.” (When passing the service desk members either go left to the Ladies Area or right to Lifemoves’ offices and the Co-Ed workout area) and, “The event was well put together; I enjoyed the speakers.”

We enjoyed hosting this event and look forward to next year. We achieved two of our goals. First, we raised awareness of the Kinesiology profession and the value of organ donation . Second, more peoplle know that Lifemoves Health and Rehabilitation’s Kinesiologists are available to help members and non-members get moving for life. Contact us today at northshore@lifemoves.ca to book a complimentary consultation.

Thank you to all those who attended and to our door prize donors: Moveo Sport and Rehabilitation Centre, Fitness World, Stretch to Win, Cultivate Your Health, Beyond H20, IMPACT Magazine, Grouse Mountain Resort, Lifemoves, Galiano Inn and Spa and Twist Conditioning.

Remember Kinesiology Week happens every year. Mark your calendars for mid-October for another great event.