[[{"fid":"44474","view_mode":"fs_width_0212px","fields":{"format":"fs_width_0212px","field_fs_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Forest intern, Maryjane Bobolink, helped with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe color run. Forest Service photo by Mary Nordeen.","field_fs_image_copyright_notice[und][0][value]":"","field_fs_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Forest Service photo by Mary Nordeen","field_fs_internal_notes[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"fs_width_0212px","field_fs_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Forest intern, Maryjane Bobolink, helped with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe color run. Forest Service photo by Mary Nordeen.","field_fs_image_copyright_notice[und][0][value]":"","field_fs_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Forest Service photo by Mary Nordeen","field_fs_internal_notes[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"height":"293","width":"212","style":"width: 424px; height: 586px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-fs-width-0212px","data-delta":"1"},"link_text":false}]]MINNESOTA — Chippewa National Forest employees helped with a color walk/run in early November at the Veterans Memorial Grounds in Cass Lake, Minnesota. The Notah Begay III Foundation week is the largest national event to engage a significant number of Native American youth in physical activity at one time.

Kids from the Cass Lake area were invited to join in the fun of running a 1.5-mile outdoor loop. As part of the run, volunteers were stationed at various points along the circle and tossed out clouds of colored powder as the kids ran by. Mary Jane Bobolink, a resource assistant intern at Chippewa National Forest, joined in the run with the kids, returning with a big smile and a very colorful NB3FIT t-shirt.

Forest staff also set up a booth to encourage kids and their families to explore the outdoors this winter, with information on trails and fishing. Also, every kid received a Junior Snow Ranger booklet and bandana. Staff from the Leech Lake Boys and Girls Club were on hand to lead other fitness activities indoors. The event was sponsored by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Leech Lake Area Boys and Girls Club, Leech Lake Diabetes Clinic, Leech Lake Police, Statewide Health Improvement Partnerships, and the SNAP-Education program.

The Chippewa National Forest is preparing snowshoes to partner with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Youth Service Programs for another youth event coming up this winter.