I am pleased to have the opportunity today to highlight for my Honourable Colleagues an exciting event that students across the province will be planning for over the next several months.

Last Friday, I was joined by Olympic gold medal winner Mark Nichols and the Olympic and Paralympic mascots at Holy Cross Elementary in St. John�s to announce special activities for Newfoundland and Labrador Day during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

These activities will incorporate the annual Living Healthy Commotions which are part of the Healthy Students, Healthy Schools initiative. Commotions include events such as walks or hikes, healthy community breakfasts, skipping competitions, fruit and vegetable scavenger hunts, or healthy menu contests, just to name a few. They are used to highlight for students the importance of active living and healthy eating.

Next February 26, which is Newfoundland and Labrador Day at the Olympics, schools across the province will hold Olympic-size commotions, focused on the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games � friendship, fair play and the pursuit of excellence.

These commotions will be video-taped and one school from each district will be part of the warm-up show in Vancouver prior to the medal ceremonies. They will be featured on a jumbo screen, demonstrating for the world how our students celebrate the Olympic spirit.

Over the past several years, government has made significant investments designed to promote increased activity and healthy food choices for our children and youth. For example, $3.2 million has been invested to provide new physical education equipment to every school. School food guidelines, introduced in 2006, have been updated and will be sent to schools in the near future.

Approximately $1.2 million has been invested to date for the purchase of new cafeteria equipment to allow for the healthier preparation of foods. And this year, I am pleased to report that $1.5 million has been allocated for our Healthy Students, Healthy Schools initiative.

While we can�t force students to eat certain foods, we can promote activities and help increase awareness of the benefits of making healthy choices. The Living Healthy Commotions of the past number of years have been a great success and indicate that all initiatives to promote healthy living are well worth the effort. I am confident that students and teachers will go the extra mile next year to produce some Olympic-sized commotions to highlight Newfoundland and Labrador Day in Vancouver.