For anyone who believes that youths who spend a great deal of time watching Nickelodeon will see little benefit other than an overdose of television will have to think again after Caitlin Snell, a seventh-grade student at Correia Junior High, was awarded $5,000 from the television station as part of its “Let’s Just Play” contest.
The money will benefit the Klassic Kids site at Loma Portal Elementary, 3341 Browning St.
“I entered the contest because I wanted our center to win so we could buy some playground equipment that we really need and so the kids could have more fun,” Snell said. “I asked if we could spend $1,000 of the money right away just to buy cool playground toys, like new basketballs, scooters and maybe a volleyball net.”
The television station runs the “Let’s Just Play” contest nationally in an effort to encourage children to get outside and play. Candy Snell, the Klassic Kids Loma Portal center director and Caitlin’s mother, inspired the kids to participate and a total of 64 entries were submitted.
“The giveaway took the form of telling reasons why play is important, and it started last September and went through June of this year, and kids were asked to send in a letter with three reasons why play is important to them,” said Debbie Anderson, communications manager for Harmonium, which operates Klassic Kids. “Every month, Nickelodeon would randomly select 20 out of what was sent in “¦ and each participant received $5,000 to spend on equipment to make play more fun at their school or club.”
The remaining funds will be used in a variety of ways, including sending Klassic Kids’ activity leaders out to learn dance aerobics and bring that knowledge back to the center, as well as starting a healthy eating program and putting on special programs, performances and assemblies that emphasize physical activity.
“Harmonium was started in 1975 in Mira Mesa by a diverse group of individuals because they saw that there were problems with youths in this new community,” Anderson said. “The kids up there were getting into trouble because there weren’t that many places for kids to go and so they started Harmonium to provide counseling and support to families and youths.”
In 1980, Harmonium also sensed the need for daycare in Mira Mesa and opened the first Klassic Kids at Ericson Elementary. Today the group operates nine Klassic Kids centers locally, all of which are housed in bungalows on school grounds.
“I have won a lot of contests since I was a little kid. I won a digital camera and I have won lots of contests in supermarkets,” Snell said. “This was my biggest win so far, and Nickelodeon also sent me a bag of sports equipment just for myself, and I really enjoyed participating in the contest.”