Dr. Akhter is director of the D.C. Department of Health, which is promoting its new physical activity media campaign. DOH is looking for eager residents from each ward to serve as “community coaches.” (For more information, visit communitycoachesdc.com.) What is the physical activity media campaign?
The District has a lot of people who are not eating right and are not really exercising. We want to convince them to get into exercising so they will not be overweight and prone to diseases. What we want to do is create a campaign that reaches all people in the District and encourage them to participate in more walking, more walking up the steps and more exercises. It’s a way to encourage people to participate in healthy activities.
What qualifications do people need to be community coaches?
They need to be doing some kind of activity that’s of interest to the public at-large. If you are a child doing gymnastics, or if you’re an elderly person who walks your dog, we’d be very interested in your activities. We’re looking for someone who is doing something and can be a role model for other people. This is one way of not only doing a healthy activity for yourself, but also doing it for your community because you are encouraging the community to do the same thing.
Do people need to prepare anything for the auditions?
They do not need to prepare anything, they just need to show up. People will be interviewing them and maybe taking their pictures. When they select people, they will use them in 2- or 3-minute videos for the campaign.
When and where are the auditions?
It’s on Saturday at Judiciary Square between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., at 441 4th St. NW. If there’s a federal government shutdown, we’ll be doing it right in front of the building.
– Erica Redmond
