Description
Hi! We are PARADISE U, (Physical Activity Reduces Anxiety, Depression, Improves the Stress response, & Energizes U). Initially founded as a response to the devastating Camp Fire, we have provided physical activity and physical education to adults and kids in the Paradise community since January 2019.
With more and more teachers asking for our program in their schools, our team of Chico State faculty, alumni, and students has been working hard to plan our expansion to serve all elementary schools in Chico with free physical activity support. We are in 10 local schools and counting, and we could use your help. Your donation will fund the purchase of equipment so that we can continue bringing joy, connection, and resilience to kids in Chico and beyond, for years to come!
-Read about us in Chico State Today
How will donations be used?
Remember when you were young, and you could invent a game that lasted for hours with a couple of sticks and some open space?
We believe in the power of creative play. Items as simple as balls, frisbees, or decorated chalk lines on the ground can bring with them so many smiles and giggles! Your donation, no matter the size, will help us bring the gift of joyful movement to our community.
All donations from this campaign will go directly to the purchase of equipment (and we can never have enough chalk and cones!), which means you can guarantee your money will be put to good use.
Here’s a sample of what the following donations can fund:
- $10: playground balls, a frisbee, or a set of bean bags.
- $20: a set of frisbees, a set of jumpropes, or any combination of the above.
- $50: a spike ball set, a set of hula hoops, or any combination of the above.
- $100: a set of speakers for epic dance parties, two spike ball sets, two hula hoop sets, or any combination of the above.
- $300: a parachute, 3 sets of epic dance party speakers, SIX spike ball sets or hula hoop sets… so many combinations! You get the idea :)
Which of your favorite childhood games will you help us bring to life?
Support Paradise U!
As our program has grown, we see that our work is far from done. The Covid-19 pandemic left in its wake many students - who were already struggling to meet daily physical activity recommendations - moving less, spending more time on screens, and feeling worse. Teachers are desperate for help. More than ever, we must support our students in getting the movement they need so that they can feel, play, and learn, better.
Our team is headed by the expert leadership of Dr. Cathrine Himberg, and we plan to expand to cover all elementary schools in Chico by the 2024-2025 school year. As long as the need persists, so will we. We see no limit to the places PARADISE U can bring joy and connection to a community. Join us!
Why are donations necessary?
We believe in the power of a quality physical activity program, with or without equipment. But, there are a few items that make a really big difference. It’s like having a microwave. You can cook without one, but there are some times where it’s just so darn helpful to have one around! We hope you’ll consider helping us maximize our impact.
Thoughtfully planned equipment purchases create a huge reward for a small investment. Items like speakers, balls, and chalk allow us to offer an almost endless array of games and activities to get kids moving, giggling, and smiling. Thanks, from PARADISE U, and the many students we serve.
If you’d like to get involved or learn about other ways you can support the programming we do here at PARADISE U, please contact our program director, Christine Wilhoyte, at christinewilhoyte27@gmail.com