Cy-Fair Lifestyles and Homes magazine Oct 2009: News Around Cy-Fair

Bridgeland Triathlon Draws More than 600 Competitors. More than 600 of the area’s most physically fit tested their prowess in Bridgeland during the community’s first triathlon.

Sanctioned by USA Triathlon, the Bridgeland event made full use of Bridgeland’s natural resources, with a 482-meter swim in Lake Bridgeland, a 14-mile bike course on Fry Road and a 3.28-mile run throughout the master-planned community and along the Cypress Creek Nature Trail.

Proceeds from the triathlon benefited a variety of local school and community organizations.

benefit sale for nam. Larry and Connie Stick, owners of The Billiard Factory, and Rick Gilger, owner of Luggage & Leather, hosted a benefit sale for Northwest Assistance Ministries to promote the charity ’s upcoming Jeans & Jewels Gala.

NAM Shot Blitz Provided Immunizations to Children. NAM’s Children’s Clinic at Northwest Assistance Ministries offered low-cost immunizations for children at its annual Back to School Shot Blitz.

Cypress-Woodlands Junior Forum members helped to coordinate the event and National Charity League members helped with the preparations. The project was

NAM Back to School Project serves 2,872
children. Northwest Assistance Ministrie’s 2009 Back-to-School Project provided 2, 872 local children with basic school supplies for their grade level as well as vouchers for new, school-appropriate clothes and shoes.

As a social worker for Klein ISD, Kimberly Jones works with many families struggling to make ends meet. She sees firsthand the toll it takes on children to start the school year without the necessary supplies.

Many of the families that Jones refers to the Back To School program are in need of help with basic human needs such as food and money for rent, utility bills and medical bills. Families struggling to pay rent and utility bills are often forced to put school supplies low on their priority lists.

“NAM’s Back-to-School Program has been such a stress reliever for a lot of the families I work with, ” Jones said. “School supplies are expensive, especially for families who are already on limited budgets. With this program, they don ’t have to figure out how they’re going to get the extra money.”

also supported by several local nursing students and nurses who volunteered to prepare and administer the vaccines.

During the two-week blitz, 821 children were given a total of 2,837 immunizations. This year ’s event was the most comprehensive in NAM’s history, due to an increased need for low-cost health care, as well as changes in school vaccine requirements.

In addition to the vaccinations, families at this year’s Shot Blitz were also offered help with enrollment in health insurance and social services programs. NAM collaborated with Community Health Choice and The Children ’s Defense Fund to assist families with enrollment in state health coverage programs, as well as prenatal health coverage. Families were also able to apply for food stamps and the Women, Infants and Children program through the USDA – Food and Nutrition Services Agency. NAM also provided information and applications for the Gold Card Program.