Volunteers celebrated during BCHD school garden cleanup
“Garden Angel” Dan Smith leads a group of volunteers as they clean up the Alta Vista Elementary School LiveWell Kids Garden. Photo The Beach Cities Health District kicked off its own countdown to the school year, gathering more than 150 people to refresh school gardens at BCHD’s annual Volunteer Day – so many volunteers that the district had to cap the number of people wanting to help. “Our community is engaged, and we’re 10 years in here, so we’re seeing the benefits — it’s just a thing the community does,” said BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “The business sector, school leadership, city leadership, bringing everyone in to make an impact, and it’s working.” The volunteers helped to clean up the LiveWell Kids Gardens at each of Redondo Beach Unified School District’s eight elementary schools, as well as Hermosa View School. The gardens are a hands-on component to a program that’s led to a severe drop in childhood obesity among Redondo’s elementary school-age kids: Today, 6.2 percent of elementary-age kids are obese, cutting the obesity rate by 68 percent in 10 years. “The data speaks for itself, but it’s a steady flywheel approach … really a day-to-day, well-thought-out, comprehensive plan…
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