Madisonville native Eric Logan is executive director of Light of Chance, a nonprofit organization that serves youth and the community through innovative art and wellness programs. Light of Chance offers special programs such as Aspire, a weekend of empowering, mentoring, family-friendly and fun community events in Madisonville and Bowling Green. The organization also offers the Get Set Go Wellness Program, which is designed to promote healthier lifestyles in children ages 5 to 13. Logan recently talked to the Daily News about his work. Here’s what he had to say:
A: “I started it as a nonprofit in 2005 in Madisonville with an annual weekend called Aspire, which features a youth conference. It has grown. It’s a youth conference, entertainment and a communitywide church service.”
Q: What is Get Set Go?
A: “I’ve always been into fitness and wellness. I took an interest in health.
Get Set Go is a program that we launched in 2010. Erik Jenkins (Western Kentucky University coach of men’s and women’s track and field programs) mentioned (childhood obesity) a year before we started to develop a model. I saw something on TV that made me dive into the statistics. I worked with him and Ray Williams (head men’s and women’s cross country/track and field coach at Lincoln University in Lincoln University, Penn.) We developed the Get Set Go model.
“We started it as a pilot program. We had 30 to 35 kids. That went so well that we started working year round with after-school programs at the Boys and Girls Club (of Bowling Green) and Bowling Green Parks and Recreation (Department). We were serving 160 kids. We’ve expanded our program to include a new program with (Bowling Green-Warren County) Community Education. Now we have up to 450 kids we serve on a regular basis. We’re trying to grow a little bit more. We have nine community partners.
“We try to increase physical activity and teach healthy eating. We try to make it interactive. We do physical education like Zumba, aerobics, sports, CrossFit training, and we’re interactive on the nutrition side. We make healthy snacks. They’re inexpensive and don’t involve heat. They’re something they can fix at home. They don’t have to be in an after-school program (to participate in Get Set Go). Anyone can sign their child up.
“There are wellness programs for kids, but we have a holistic approach that’s different from a lot of other people. I think more people are becoming more conscious of obesity. Childhood obesity is an issue. We’re trying to be at the forefront.”
Q: What drives you to do this work?
A: “It wasn’t my intention to start a nonprofit. It started from a conversation with a guy who watched me grow up. I thought it was funny, and he said he was serious. I want young adults to give back and be an example to the younger generation so they can see if we can achieve our dreams, they can too. I really love working with kids. We don’t need to be a household name to do what we do. I discovered my passion from Aspire weekend. It doesn’t feel like it’s work at all. To me, the American dream is doing what you love.”
Q: What’s next for Light of Chance?
“We’re growing and continuing to develop. We have a youth art program in Madisonville. We’re trying to get the word out about what we’re doing. It’s a learning process. Sometimes you get a feeling that it’s not the right time to bring something to another place. It depends on the time and opportunity. We’re trying to implement change slowly, to grow the program and serve more people.”
Q: How can the community help?
A: “We’re always looking for volunteers. Financial contributions are always helpful. It’s one of those things where the entire community is going to have to join in and make a difference. It’s the small things that a make difference.”
Article by Alyssa Harvey
Bowling Green Daily News