Since becoming the pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Watts in 2011, Pastor Shane B. Scott has preached about a healthy lifestyle. That message is greatly needed, as cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other illnesses that are associated to unhealthy diets have greatly effected the African American community.
Scott created the Spring Fest event in 2012, which is an Easter block party event that is held for children. Because he is always promoting a healthy lifestyle, the church urged him to create a 5K run. Scott tweaked the idea to a run/walk to accommodate the older and less active population at the church, enabling everybody to participate.
This event brought the community together with a focus on faith, fellowship and fitness. “It gave people an opportunity to participate on various levels,” Scott said.
The street fair had something for everybody, as the children were able to participate in the Spring Fest, and the adults were able to perform various fitness activities. There were also booths where people could obtain information about proper diet and exercise.
Scott keeps his congregation well informed, as the church performs HIV and cancer screenings, and they host a back-to-school event, where children receive school supplies. That event also has a health fair component. Scott is already planning for next year’s Spring Fest/Healthy Watts 5K run/walk to be even bigger, as Walmart has come on board as a sponsor.
For more information about Macedonia Baptist Church, visit their website at www.macedonia-la.org.
