“Giggle in Gear is all about getting fit by having fun! Whether you’re a kid or teen, parent or teacher, it’s time for you to get your Giggle in Gear!” Giggle in Gear is an organization that focuses on healthy living for all ages. Their goal is to keep people active while having fun doing so. GIG! shares healthy, creative and tasty food recipes which are featured on their website. They also have GIGaways in which they give away free prizes to attract more attention to the aims of their organization.
There are several events that Giggle in Gear hosts in order to fulfill their positive mission: Zumba fitness and exercise, fruits and veggies on wheels through their “Mobile Market” and their gardening project, to name a few. Through fun filled events GIG! encourages people to choose more healthy eating options. GIG! hands out recipe cards that break down recipes relatively at low cost.
On February 4th, 2012, Giggle in Gear held their Kick-off event at the Farmers Market where members of the community were invited to attend. People came out and played with Giggle in Gear in their “Giggle Space” where the children of the community hula hooped, danced and played hopscotch. At the Kick-off event the community was encouraged to partake in more outdoor activities and to become more active and healthy. At their Family Day later in February, Giggle in Gear encouraged children to become more acquainted with fruits and vegetables. Some of the children said they had never had fruits and vegetables. Giggle in Gear was pleasantly surprised by the identification of the lesser known fruits by many of the children.
So far Giggle in Gear has received lots of positive feedback and are grateful for support from their partners such as BBBS and other Gainesville community organizations. Caroline Lewis, spokesperson for Giggle in Gear, has been deeply moved by her experience with Giggle in Gear. “As college students it is easy to be wrapped up in our lives and forget about those in our community”. She says that the experience has helped her grow, and she is proud to be acquainted with such passionate people who care about the community. Giggle in Gear hopes to empower the community by sharing their knowledge and letting the community takeover from there.