Caps Participate in Family Nutrition Program at Ronald McDonald House

As part of their So Kids Can initiative, Capitals players Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby and Tom Wilson, along with Elliot Segal from the Elliot in the Morning Show, recently participated in the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC, family nutrition and fitness program at Barnard Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

A key element of the program is teaching local parents how to cook healthy meals on a budget. During their visit, the players and Segal discussed healthy eating, made a healthy snack and participated in fitness activities with students. Following the session with the children, the players met with the parents participating in the program. They talked about the foods they were cooking and learning about during the session and took photos together.

During the 2017-18 season Backstrom, Holtby, Segal and Wilson are raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC, and the KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic/Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® (KMMC/RMCM) through So Kids Can. Each player and Segal are donating $50 per Capitals win during the regular season and will donate $100 per Capitals win during the playoffs.

In partnership with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, the KMMC/RMCM is a "doctor's office on wheels" that provides improved access to quality health care where children need it most - in their community. Children under the age of 21 are eligible for care, whether or not they have medical insurance. Free health care services include: primary care, newborn exams, well child visits, immunizations, ophthalmic exams, and nutritional counseling, as well as social services and mental health consultations.
Year to date, the KMMC/RMCM has provided nearly 1,200 patient visits to kids in underserved neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The program is unique in its holistic approach to providing health care, delivering not only comprehensive primary care but preventive care through education and advocacy.
So Kids Can was created in 2008 by former Capitals defenseman Mike Green and Elliot Segal to benefit youth-focused, nonprofit organizations. Backstrom and former Caps forward Brooks Laich joined the cause in 2011, former Caps defenseman Karl Alzner and Holtby joined in 2015 and Wilson joined in 2017. To date, So Kids Can has donated more than $350,000 to charity. Most recently, the 2016-17 So Kids Campaign raised $30,267.88 for Martha's Table.
About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC (RMHCDC)

Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), eases the hardship of children's illness on families through programs that directly improve the health and wellbeing of children. Through its three core programs: two Ronald McDonald Houses®, two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms®, and two Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles®, RMHCDC keeps families with sick children near each other and the medical care their children need at leading local hospitals. RMHCDC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family-centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children's care. For more information, visit
www.rmhcdc.org
.