AUBURN - Opening day may still be a few weeks off, but that didn't stop children and parents from lining up at the gates of Falcon Park Saturday afternoon.

Dozens of families were on hand for a joint effort between Eat Well Play Hard and the Auburn Doubledays to promote healthy lifestyles for children of Cayuga County.

Sabrina Hesford, community nutrition educator at Cornell Cooperative extension said that Eat Well Play Hard is a program funded by the state Department of Health and implemented by the county health department which works in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Cayuga County Fitness Council to implement the grant.

Eat Well Play Hard has three basic tenants that the program tries to share, with professionals visiting schools in an effort to promote healthy choices in the realm of diet and exercise.

The program asks that children strive for 60 minutes of physical activity each day, increase their intake of fruits and vegetables and that they consume low-fat and fat-free dairy foods.

“Thirty-three percent of children in this country are obese,” Hesford said. “As are the adults in this country. Through this grant we are trying to take a proactive approach to fighting childhood obesity.”

Hesford, in conjunction with Joe Mushock of the Cayuga County Fitness Council, have been working with children for the past three years.

Carl Gutelius, general manager of the Doubledays, said that the team has been supporting a reading program in local schools for the past three years, but wanted to take a more active role in promoting health in the children of the community.

Over the past week, the Doubledays have been promoting the Eat Well Play Hard program in area schools with efforts like Hit a Healthy Home Run With Abner, challenging children to follow the Eat Well Play Hard tenants for four days to become eligible to win things like tickets to Doubledays games this summer.

“They came to our school,” said Rachel Martens, 9, of Port Byron.

“I've never been to the Doubledays games, but we won tickets for this summer. I wanted to come and see the clubhouse and play the games and go in the moonbounce room.”

Martens was joined by her sisters Liz, 11, and Olivia, 8, and their mother, Diane.

Diane said that she was happy to see kids have an opportunity to take part in a healthy afternoon and that she and her daughters were eager to get to a few games this summer.

Getting children inspired and excited about an active lifestyle was a major part of the appeal for the Doubledays.

“We've all heard a lot about childhood obesity,” Gutelius said. “We thought that doing something like this was a perfect tie-in with what we are all about. When the idea for doing a day like this came up, everyone was very receptive.”

The free afternoon of baseball-oriented activities gave children a chance to run the bases, play home run derby, meet Abner and tour the clubhouse.

“I think this is perfect,” Hesford said.

“The kids really look up to the Doubledays and they are really good role models.”

Parents and children alike enjoyed the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the ball park taking part in some good healthy outdoor activities.

“I think it is great they are doing something like this,” Charles Thomas, who brought his son Jonathan Adams, 7, out for the afternoon. “He brought a flyer home from school and we thought it would be great to come out and see what this is all about. I think it is a great thing for the kids.”

Hesford said that she hopes to make this an annual event and to be able to provide more free family oriented events such as this to continue to promote healthy lifestyles.