As another summer approaches the organizers of the Cruzin’ Covington Passport program are getting ready to start the program’s second year with a kick off event May 30 in downtown Covington.

It has also expanded to include Kent, as well, so all elementary school students in the Kent School District will have the opportunity to participate according to Coalition for a Healthy Community member Pam Kramer.

“This kick off is going to be fantastic,” Kramer said. “It starts at 10 a.m. in the Walmart parking lot … with a one mile walk/fun run for everyone. It goes all the way around the back of their store, up the street, by the post office and into the Kohl’s parking lot.”

A broad-spectrum partnership spurred by the CHC has developed this opportunity for local students to get out in the city eat healthy, play hard and learn more during summer vacation.

“We’ve got several businesses involved with the passport again,” Kramer said. “Some businesses are a ‘Learn Site’ and kids will go in and get their passports stamped by getting a brochure or some information. We’ve had some businesses really take it to the next level.”

For every healthy choice they make, kids will get a stamp in the passport, and every youngster who turns in a passport at the end of the summer gets a Cruzin’ Covington drawstring backpack as well as entered into drawings for other fun prizes.

At Pinnacle Physical Therapy there will be an obstacle course, for example, and when the kids complete the course they’ll get a stamp.

Or if students go to Chiropractic Today they’ll get a free jump rope.

“Then we have several restaurants that will have a special Cruzin’ Covington Passport menu,” Kramer said. “If they order something from that menu they get a stamp.”

The passports will also feature a calendar of events and activities during the summer months as well as a list of participating destinations where kids will have a chance to be healthier.

Kramer added that there will be hiking trips offered, as well, with more details on those to come later and that youngsters will also be able to get a stamp when they participate in activities at the Covington Aquatic Center.

In addition, the CHC will take on organization of the Fun Run at this years Covington Days festival, which is a 5k even that will start at 9 a.m. or about two hours before the parade.

“We’ll have goody bags and prizes,” Kramer said. “It’s going to be very fun. It will be just as big (as in years past) if not bigger.”

The coalition has teamed up with the city of Covington as well as with sponsors MultiCare and Valley Medical Center and have recruited the help of dozens of businesses throughout Covington.

Kramer, a dietitian with MultiCare, said this project has got off to a great start last year and has attracted even more participation from local businesses as well as the expansion into Kent this year which will have its own passport.

Students who want to get passports for both Kent and Covington are welcome to, Kramer said, in fact organizers are encouraging them to do so since it will provide them with many more opportunities to get stamps.

Every child that turns in a passport on Sept. 19 will get a backpack and will be entered into drawings to win additional prizes.

“We want the kids to know that there is a reward for doing something healthy and keeping fit,” Kramer said. “We’re hoping that will translate into, ‘Oh, and I have long term rewards also from doing things like that.’”