Carolina Hurricanes host fitness day for middle school students

WAKE FOREST, NC (WTVD) -- On Thursday, students at Heritage Middle School in Wake Forest enjoyed a fitness field day hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes.

"In here, you get to put on all the hockey gear and do a relay race," said eighth-grader Avery Wilson. "It's really fun and it gets you moving and more active."

The students used their dedication and fitness to beat out other Wake County middle schools in order to win the Hurricanes Power Play program.

Students logged their hours online over a four week period and ended the program with the greatest percentage of time devoted to fitness activities.

"A lot of people do more sports and after-school activities to earn those hours," Wilson said.

Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy middle schoolers came in a close second. They will also enjoy a celebration next week.

"We'll be out there with Jaccob Slavin, our star player, whose the spokesman and role model for the program, and we'll be doing fitness field day for them as well," said Carolina Hurricanes Senior VP Tom Ward.

These students are learning the importance of fitness, something the school already stresses.

"We try to get them to really appreciate different types of activity, different types of fitness for lifelong appreciation," said Erin Norris, of Heritage Middle School.