CSU East Bay students joined with the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District to create a free roller-skating event for local families to enjoy.

The CSUEB student-run club, Skating for Kids’ Achievement Through Exercise, or SKATE, was created by Nastassia Hamor, a senior CSU East Bay athlete and three time speed skater for the US Inline Skating National Team.

Hamor, majoring in Psychology, says she created this event to get families interested in skating and to illustrate and emphasize the health benefits of the sport.

“I think it provides a community environment, that families can feel safe and confortable in and have fun and just enjoy themselves,” Hamor said. “Also, there’s tons of health benefits. Skating is a low impact sport and you lose a lot of calories per hour skating. So it’s something the whole family can enjoy together, no matter their level.”

The club addresses the issue of childhood obesity, which is a growing trend within the US. SKATE’s mission is to engage the community in healthier lifestyle choices through recreation.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States” are obese, which is “triple the rate from just one generation ago.” Furthermore, the center informs us that socioeconomic factors play a significant role in obesity, with 1 out of 7 low-income, preschool-aged children being obese.

“We wanted to do outreach to the community,” said Noel Manivez, a youth and teen supervisor at Hayward recreation. Manivez noted these events are low cost to the community and explained the partnership with the school provides necessary resources to allow for low cost activities, like the SKATE event.

Hamor and Manivez say these kinds of events were put on by their community growing up and were enthusiastic about bringing skating to Hayward.

“It’s just to provide kids in this community and family and opportunity to do something different,” said Manivez. “Because with the closing of the local skating rink years ago, we thought it would be a low cost idea; families can skate with their kids, provides them with an opportunity to get out in a safe environment and then physical fitness is a big trend right now.”

Hayward recreation’s mission statement, Manivez says, goes hand in hand with SKATE in finding healthy and affordable recreation activities for the community.

Kerrilyn Ely, superintendent of the Hayward recreation department, says the partnership between Hayward and CSU East Bay students started when Hamor approached them with the idea for free skating events. After further collaboration, the first event was held in April of 2012.

“I was very supportive,” says Ely in regards to Hamor’s free skate events. “She approached both, Noel and I to do the skating event and we are really supportive. We think it’s a great concept and we love Nastassia and her energy and bringing all the students down, it’s a great thing.”

Together, the Hayward recreation department and SKATE have hosted three events, including the one last Saturday at Sunset Adult School, located in Hayward. Attendees ranged from first timers to advanced skaters, who circled a makeshift rink to the sound of pop culture music. The event also hosts an array of other family activities, such as a bounce-house, games, coloring and raffle prizes.

“It’s been really cool so far,” said Chris Gallagher, a junior at CSU East Bay who took over as president after Hamor left. “Today, a lot of these kids have never skated before and they don’t have anything to do on the weekend. So it’ll give them a chance to have fun.”

We will be seeing more of these events, explained Hamor. Even though she is graduating soon, she will still be around to take part in her community creation.

“I’m just really excited to continue it,” Hamor said. “I’m going to continue my masters at [CSU] East Bay, so I’ll be around. And just help Chris and the rest of the club members to continue to put it on with [Hayward recreation].”