The 10th annual Dr. Nelson L Adams “Walk a Mile with a Child,” set for Saturday, April 22,2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The walk will begin at Gibson Park and go through historic Overtown. Registration begins at 8am.

Hosted by the National Medical Association (NMA), James Wilson Bridges, M.D. Medical Society (JWBMS), and Sunshine Health, this free annual event seeks to empower minority community, providing practical tools families can incorporate for a healthier home.

Promoting exercising is a crucial goal of the event, particularly as overweight and obesity rates are higher among African American children, with obesity rates increasing faster at earlier ages and with higher rates of severe obesity. Approximately 60 percent of Florida’s overweight children have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. With this in mind, the walk hopes to encourage adults to serve as community mentors by walking with the children and inspiring them to keep their minds and bodies active.

“The health and wellness of Florida’s children should be our primary focus,” said Dr. Nelson L. Adams, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Sunshine Health. “There are many chronic conditions associated with obesity that are easily preventable with a healthy lifestyle.”

The walk will be followed by a pop-up health and wellness fair that will be held at Gibson Park in Miami. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in the fitness clinic, face painting, games, family Zumba class, as well as learn ways to improve the health and well-being for the whole family.

The event is just part of the health initiatives launched by NMA, a 121-year-old not-for-profit organization representing the interests of over 40,000 African American physicians and the patients they serve. As the local arm of the NMA, the JWBMS is just as committed to promoting optimal health for communities of color.