Joan SerVaas, Forever-Fit Director and CEO of the Saturday Evening Post Society
On June 17 and 18, the Forever-Fit program made its television debut as Fox, CBS, and NBC crewmembers arrived on the farm to tour the facilities and interview both campers and directors. Shortly after the press arrived, Joan SerVaas, Forever-Fit director and CEO of the Saturday Evening Post Society, welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming before making a brief appearance in front of the cameras. She quickly turned the segment to a number of special guests, allowing them to introduce their respective fields and provide their expert opinions on the significance of the Forever-Fit program. Amongst others, the guests included Olgen Williams, deputy mayor of Indianapolis; Dr. Virginia A. Caine, director of the Marian County Health Department; Dr. Sandeep K. Gupta, director of Riley Hospital’s Pediatric Overweight and Education Research (POWER) at Indiana University Health; Audrey Sattleblom, Wellness coordinator for Indianapolis Public Schools; Dr. John Guare, a clinical associate professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Amanda Grant, a clinical dietician and program coordinator of the POWER program at Riley Hospital; and Dr. Leslie Schuh, a research scientist in the Bariatric Center of Excellence at St. Vincent’s Hospital.
Following the lead of the ROTC officers, the campers prepare themselves for a push-up drill.
After all of the specialists spoke, the cameras shifted away from the podium and toward the 24-acre lawn. Led by an Army ROTC unit based out of IUPUI, the Forever-Fit campers filed outside in three distinct marching lines and situated themselves before the lieutenants. As demonstrated by their presiding officers, the kids participated in a number of strength-building exercises, enjoying the opportunity to “join the command.” From outward lunges to full-range push-ups, they engaged in different drills and completed the training session with an Army march around the farm. The demonstration not only allowed them to partake in a full body workout, but it gave them the rare privilege of appearing on live television.