The Boys and Girls Clubs of Washington State received a $45,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s Washington State Giving Council.

Four clubs in the state will benefit, including the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club. A celebration was held Sept. 27 at the EX3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center in Federal Way. (SEE PHOTOS)

The Federal Way club’s share of the grant will be about $11,000. The money will benefit after-school athletic and nutrition programs. Other clubs that will receive money from the grant include branches in Mount Vernon, Moses Lake and Clarkston. The Boys and Girls Club has 147 total branches across the state.

The Federal Way celebration was held in conjunction with the club’s national Triple Play program, which promotes healthy lifestyles by teaching members how to eat healthy, keep fit and form positive relationships. In Federal Way, that includes anything from raising awareness about the sugar content in soda, for example, or spreading the word that bullying is unacceptable.

At the teen center on Thursday, club members prepared crepes as part of the “Powerful Choices” menu. Radio Disney sponsored karaoke and games with a promotion on dancing and physical fitness. United HealthCare offered activities like Nintendo Wii games and free health screenings.

Local dignitaries including Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest and State Rep. Mark Miloscia encouraged children at the club to stay healthy — and stay out of trouble.

“Being healthy is important,” Priest told a room full of children, “if you want to be successful in school.”

One key goal of the Triple Play program is to fight childhood obesity and put children on a path to a healthy lifestyle.

“We want an environment for any kid, no matter what their athletic prowess,” said Matt Watrous, executive director, Washington State Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. “It’s an environment where fun is blended into education, and we know that works.”

PHOTOS

Click here to see photos from the Sept. 27 celebration at the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club.