SALINAS — Families across the Salinas Valley are invited to a free Community Health Day on Saturday, June 27, at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, where soccer, nutrition and community resources will come together in an effort to promote healthier lifestyles.
The event, hosted in partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Quakes Foundation, will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, 1440 Constitution Blvd. in Salinas.
The family-friendly event will feature health and wellness information from local organizations, free Taylor Farms snack and salad packs, food, music, community booths and family activities.
A youth soccer clinic for children ages 5 to 13, led by Earthquakes legend Shea Salinas, is also part of the event, although registration for the clinic has already filled.
Community organizations scheduled to participate include Community Health Partnership, Monterey County Libraries, Action Council, Loving Solutions, Sun Street Centers and the Live Well Project of Salinas Valley Health.
Organizers said the event is intended to address health challenges facing Monterey County, including diabetes, pre-diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk, childhood obesity and low levels of physical activity among youth. By combining soccer with nutrition education and access to local resources, organizers hope to make preventive health services more accessible to families.
“This partnership shows what is possible when soccer and community organizations work together with a shared purpose,” said Jonathan De Anda, general manager of the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex. “Diabetes, obesity and preventable health conditions are affecting too many families in our region. By bringing health resources, healthy food, youth sports and family resources directly to the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, we are making it easier for families to take simple, positive steps toward better health. This is what we mean when we say the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex is más que fútbol.”
The event is part of the San Jose Earthquakes’ Grow the Game campaign, which aims to expand access to youth soccer while strengthening partnerships that promote healthy, active communities.
