Wednesday, February 4, 1998 — North Shore News — 17 ining arts business SHORE | JFE d NORTH lunteer group comes to THE way Aaron Johnson and Gary Macdonald see it, the most effective way to create a heaichy community is to provide free first aid service to the people of North and West Vancouver. rescue In fact, it was the fire department that first started the Basic First-Aid school pro- gram, but as District of North Vancouver Fire Services Capt. Terry Abrams explains, a problem developed. “The firefighters would get an emer- gency call (during the instruction session), and they'd have to leave,” Abrams recalls. The enterprising pair incorporated the North Shore First Aid Society in April of 1996 as a non-profit charity dedicated to providing just that — a high quality, com- munity-based frst aid service for sporting events, festivals and public gatherings. In addition, the society set out vo establish a proactive role of providing lectures and courses on safety awareness. To that end, Johnson, Macdonald and other soci- ety volunteers are currently making the rounds to North Vancouver elemen- tary school classrooms. At the behest of the District of North Vancouver Fire Services, the society’s members came on board with the in-class- room program. “The program is designed to provide the students with basic first-aid knowledge, and helps to encouragé the self-confidence needed to care for a sick or injured per- son,” says Johnson, a pre-med student at the University of British Columbia who has worked at as an instructor at the Lonsdale recreation centre the past six years. For example, students are taught what to do if they get a piece of broken glass stuck in their skin. Boundary Community School’s Bernadette Woit is a big support- er of both the program and the society. “We've been involved for two years with the society,” Woit says. “It’s of won- derful value for the kids since it fits into our new life skills and career planning curricu- lum.” The North Vancouver school’s Grade 6 students took part in the program’s four- hour, two-day session last week, and Woit reports the enthusiasm of the students is always high during and after the instruc- tion. “They walk out of there very empow- cred,” she says, adding that the school’s Grade 7 students went through the free program last year. “The instructors are great, and when the fire department comes it’s a real bonus for the students.” The pros and cons of sport supp PEOPLE today are looking for an edge — a way to complement their hard work and give them the extra something that will help push them over the top. It’s happening in business, as can been testified to by all the How-To books on the mar- ket, and it is at least as prevalent in sport at both recreational and competitive levels. Nunrition is one of the areas often explored to improve per- formance. This column will attempt to summarize some of the more popular areas and offer some straightforward comments on their value and efficacy. SPORTS BARS Pros: @ They supply energy in the form of calories (so does chocolate!) @ For optimum use consume them about one hour before your workout. @ Many are low in fat and are therefore casily “And that disrupted the whole schedule. It became a nightmare.” Enter the North Shore First Aid Society. “Now, we can go to the emergency if we're called, and they (society volunteers) can continue on,” the public education fire captain says. Abrams says apart from being a great free service for school children, the program starts students thinking about first aid and how important it is: “Ir plants the educational seed for the future.” The society is always looking for new about voluntcer members. “We would like to get a commitment of 10 hours a month in the community,” Macdonald, a full-time BC Transit SeaBus attendant, says. He adds that with the society’s growing profile in the community, its services are branching out. For example, he says, “We're starting to see more demand in the community for coverage at sporting events.” Occupational First Aid levels 2 or 3 training is desirable but not mandatory for new members. The NSFA holds training sessions on Monday evenings at the North Vancouver District Fire Training Centre. Both Johnson and Macdonald point out that the society receives no govern- ment funding and is operated solely on goodwill. “All operating expenses, funds for spe- cial projects and upgrading equipment and supplies are raised by the gencrous dona- tions of the people and businesses in our community,” Johnson adds. Donations to the society can be made at the Lonsdale branch of the North Shore Credit Union, through the United Way or by sending them to the North Shore First Aid Society at 127-1531 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, V7M 216. All donations of over STO will receive a tax-deductible receipt. digested. Cons: W@ Sports bars are not complete foods and should only be used as a dietary supplement. @ Expensive — no, overpriced! Other basic foods can do just as well (a small bow! of chee- rios with low fat milk and a banana has the same nutrition- al value as one Power Bar). IS If you’re on a budger buy a Snickers. It offers good energy replacement value and tastes a hell ofa lor better. fit for SPORTS DRINKS vm . Pros: . life! @ They usually contain ¢lec- trolytes and carbohydrates along with water. ® Many can be absorbed faster than water. @ Most beneficial for exercise over 60 minutes duration. @ They taste good. Cons: @ Can be quite expensive. @ Check ingredients. Some companies misrepre- sent their products and try to suck in athletes looking tor a quick fix. GINSENG Pros: B Experiments with animals show reduced levels of stress when exposed to the product (woof- wool). @ Medical studies show promising potential for increasing human physical endurance. Cons: Can cause nervousness. @ With extreme usage can induce diarrhea, hypertension and insomnia. B® Because it is not a regulated substance many manufacturers lie abour the percentage of gin- seng actually contained in their packages/tablets. Arecent U. S. study on 10 products all claiming to contain ginseng actually delivered values rang- ing from a high of 10% all of the way down to zero, Buyer beware. CAFFEINE Pros: @ Proven as a stimulant in aiding athletic per- formance. (amounts allowed are limited in com- petition). @ Can help burn fat during exercise. NEWS photo Terry Peters AARON Johnsen (left) and Gary Macdonald have seen their dream of establishing a vol- unteer-based North Shore First Aid Society become a reality after incorporating the non-profit society more than 18 months ago. iemenis @ Stimulates the central nervous system. @ Inexpensive, readily available and for most people it tastes great! Cons: @ Caffeine is a diuretic — it makes you pee, thereby losing valuable fluid with your system. Strength and endurance can be decreased by up to 25% without adequate water supply. There are of course many other food supple- ments out there. Some are a harmiess waste while others can cause serious physical harm. One of the best and most successful concoc- tions I have ever heard of however can be pre- pared at home and it contains the following: Blend one quart of attitude with two cups of commitment. Add 1 tablespoon of mental toughness and half a cup of motivation, Top it off with a dash of character. Stir wel! and sim- mer over a long period of time. Cheers! A thought; “Human potential stops ata point somewhere beyond infinity!” Shane Collins is a physical trainer and athlet- ic coach as well as an accomplished sstira endurance runner and marathon swimmer. The West Vancouver resident is the president of Pacific Bodyworks and can be reached at (604) 921- 0736.