HUNDREDS of children – and their parents and carers – did plenty of after-school laps with Healthy Harold at Jellicoe Park on Tuesday as part of Life Ed NSW’s annual festival of health and colour run.
Life Ed NSW is Australia’s largest non-government provider of drug and health education to children and young people, and their families and communities.
The program reaches more than 700,000 children each year, with more than 130 mobile learning centres and 100 specially-trained educators.
The Life Ed team was in Moree Tuesday afternoon and Moree Public School Wednesday morning, promoting healthy lifestyles and well-being.
Life Ed marketing co-ordinator Fang Xu said the Healthy Harold Moree Festival and Colour Run showcased and fostered healthy living while having fun.
“The kids love Healthy Harold,” Ms Xu smiled.
“It’s been really great seeing everyone getting amongst it, and getting into the colour, and getting the parents involved and seeing the community come together.
“The Life Ed colour run is always a success in regional and rural communities, where our main goal is to get kids running around and outside,” she said.
“Our main message is about the importance of health and well-being for all children.
“We want all children to thrive and all children to have the same opportunity to live a safe and healthy life.”
Life Ed’s specialist educators delivered important and engaging lessons about nutrition, cyber safety, respectful relationships, and making positive choices about drugs, alcohol and vaping.
The 2025 Healthy Harold Moree Festival of Health was supported by local services and organisations, including Moree Plains Shire Council, Hunter New England Local Health District, Headspace, Moree Family Support, Centacare Moree, PCYC Moree, Miyay Birray Youth Service, Australian Bananas and Waratah Education Foundation.
“We’ve had a great response and all of our vendors align really well with our messaging,” Ms Xu said.
“We have Headspace and Centacare here, which are very mental-health based, and Moree Community Health is very much based on physical health and nutrition, which is also a core part of our organisation, and a core part of what we teach the kids.
“There is also a focus on preventative health on things like smoking, alcohol and vaping, which are prevalent issues among young people at the moment,” she said.
“It’s great to see, outside of Healthy Harold, a lot of great people and organisations helping get the message out.”
