Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Superintendent Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., recently joined representatives of the Charles County Branch of the NAACP (CCNAACP) and the Charles County Department of Health (CCDH) to accept an award for the collaborative work of a children’s health initiative.
Presented in July in Charlotte, N.C., by the NAACP at its national convention, Dyotha Sweat, president of CCNAACP; Sweat’s grandson, Cyrus; Jeri Farrar, D.B.A., CCNAACP health chair; Angela Clark, CCNAACP treasurer; and CCDH Health Officer Dr. Dianna Abney, accepted the Dr. William Montague Cobb Award.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations for making a significant impact on health, particularly in the areas of social justice advocacy, health education and promotion, and health fundraising and research.
The Healthy Kids initiative, first pursued in 2022, ensures children are introduced to and develop healthy eating and exercise habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. With the initiative, the Charles County branch successfully led the charge for local legislation requiring chain restaurants to offer at least one healthy meal and drink option on their menus.
“We can do whatever we need to do when we bring the right people to the table,” Sweat said when receiving the award. “We were able to pass this bill in less than one year.” The Charles County Commissioners passed the law for the initiative to ensure healthy meals are offered to children at restaurants.
Navarro, along with representatives of the CCNAACP and the CCDH, accepted the proclamation at a commissioners’ meeting recognizing October as National Children’s Health Month. “When a young person makes the decision to opt for healthy meals and take part in physical activities, they are making the decision to invest in their health and wellbeing,” Navarro said.
The American Heart Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest are also collaborators on the initiative.
