`Local effort attracts the attention of national press`

By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer

``Fat is a huge issue these days,'' said Sally B. Donnelly as Farrell elementary students worked out on fitness equipment.

Americans are overweight and out of shape, yet science confuses the issue by deeming some fat good for you and other fat bad, said the correspondent for Time magazine.

Her search to find out what Americans outside big cities like New York and Washington, D.C., are doing to address the issue brought her to Farrell Tuesday.

Through an equipment manufacturer she learned about Farrell's year-old ``Ready, Set, Go'' wellness initiative that strives to get kids in better shape and feeling better about themselves. She was intrigued by the claim that Farrell's program is the only one in the nation.

Ms. Donnelly is preparing an ``up'' story for the magazine's American Scene section. ``It hopefully gives our readers an idea what people are doing about a public policy issue,'' she said of American Scene.

Ms. Donnelly talked to school officials and some of the kids, while photographer Dave Garahan of Philadelphia snapped dozens of shots as the kids pumped, pulled and jumped. Dance music blared in the background and instructors urged the kids to keep at it.

``I remember (physical education class) being dullsville,'' Ms. Donnelly said, as the kids beamed and sprinted from exercise to exercise.

Ms. Donnelly, who works from Time's Washington office, said she enjoyed seeing many girls in the group. Usually, it's boys who are encouraged to go into athletics, she said.

Overweight students are invited into the ``Ready, Set, Go'' program, but they are not the only students involved. Kids who are shy, not participating in school activities or don't seem to get along with their classmates also are tapped. Next semester, all elementary students will take part, splitting time with their regular gym class.

``They come down two times a week,'' elementary principal Steve Gurrera said of the participants. ``They wish it was five times a week.''

The increased self-esteem the kids get improves their social skills and grades, he said. A Time magazine story could aid officials' attempts to help the kids feel good about themselves, Gurrera said.

``If it's in the magazine I think they'll go bananas,'' he said. ``This can mean so much to the school and to the valley.''

Ms. Donnelly did not know when the story would run in the magazine.

Gurrera said the New York Times also had talked about visiting the school Tuesday, but no one showed up.

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Updated Jan. 14, 1998
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