Navajo 'Mobilizing to Prevent Diabetes from Four Directions' event a success

A wagon team filled with adults and children participated in the 5th Annual Mobilizing to Prevent Diabetes from Four Directions in Chinle on Nov. 16.

A wagon team filled with adults and children participated in the 5th Annual Mobilizing to Prevent Diabetes from Four Directions in Chinle on Nov. 16.

CHINLE - The annual event that inspires people to travel to this community in the heart of the Navajo Nation on foot, horseback, or bicycle was highlighted this year on Nov. 16 with a tribute to the late Leroy Halwood Sr., former Health Education Technician with the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project (NNSDP) and coordinator of the event.

More than 800 participants arrived at the Chinle Chapter House after either walking three miles, running five miles, riding horses for seven miles, or biking for distances of over 20 miles. There was even a wagon team that started at Del Muerto and drove into Chinle.

"As a firsttime director of the event, 'Mobilizing to Prevent Diabetes from Four Directions' went very well. We had a very good outcome," said Henrietta Yazzie, NNSDP Program Supervisor. "I was told that the numbers increase by at least 10 percent every year. However, it looks like there were a lot more students who attended this year."

Yazzie said that pre-planning with her staff and meeting with other governmental entities helped to make the event a success. She said that Health Promotions and Diabetes Prevention from the Chinle Indian Health Service, Navajo Nation Area Agency on Aging-Chinle Office, Navajo Nation Department of Behavioral Health Services-Adolescent Treatment Center and Central Office, AmeriCorp and the Tribal Civilian Community Corp, Navajo Nation Community Health Representatives, Speedy Septic Services, Apache Country Sheriff's Department, and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety from Chinle were some of the local resources that helped a lot in making the event run smooth throughout the day.

She said that other NNSDP service units from Dilkon, Fort Defiance, and Kayenta, as well as Gallup, N.M. provided assistance as well.

The NNSDP set up their tent next to the chapter house and provided people with information on health, nutrition, and physical activities while people waited for participants to arrive.

Participants on bikes from Tsaile started from the Tsaile Clinic parking lot at 8 a.m. In addition to the local bikers, there was also a team of bikers from Santa Fe, N.M., as well as from Burnside Junction, Cottonwood Day School, and Rough Rock. A couple of eager runners ran from Rough Rock to Many Farms. They wanted to continue, but were advised to wait and join the other runners three miles out of Chinle.

Riders on horseback registered and began riding out of Chinle. From the east came a group of 25 riders, from the south came three riders including Anselm Roanhorse, Executive Director for the Navajo Nation Division of Health. There were four riders from the west and 10 riders from the north. There was one wagon team that came in from the east as well.

Runners and walkers started from the Chinle Chapter House. Some were too eager to wait for the bikers and horseback riders so they took off ahead of schedule. Walkers joined the event and included youngsters from local and surrounding schools, and senior citizens from senior centers throughout the area.

"The participation from the east side was very successful this year," Emma Yoe said. "In previous years, we had maybe around 20-30 participants, but this year we had over 245 people. That's not counting the six busloads of kids from the local schools that walked from the Holiday Inn."

"There was great participation and assistance provided by the AmeriCorp and Tribal Civilian Community Corps (TCCC) members out of Rough Rock," reported Pamela Etsitty, NNSDP nutritionist. "They were such a tremendous help in the area of serving the participants and the general public. If it wasn't for their much needed and appreciated assistance, getting that huge number of people served would have been one difficult task to overcome."

The Chinle NNSDP was also assisted in the area of escorts. The Apache County Sheriff's Department provided two deputies, Tommy Kirk and Andre Leonard. And the Navajo Nation Police Department from Chinle provided escorts with panels and motorcycles.

Coordinators from other directions said they were pleased with the participation and happy to see many more youth coming out to support the event. Although the NNSDP Chinle Service Unit has not received a full count of the participation, Yazzie said that the feedback so far has been very positive that the numbers have increased tremendously from previous years.

"I think it would be very beneficial to keep the community continuously informed on a periodic basis about the awareness of preventing diabetes," Yazzie said. "If the teaching and education declines, most likely the rate of diabetes will eventually stay where it is, or it will continue to rise."

The Chinle NNSDP and other entities are committed to mobilizing community members in the prevention of diabetes on a continuous basis with educational workshops, fun runs and walks, health fairs, and home visits.

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