Local Sports Calendar

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is always encouraging people to stay healthy by being active. With the recently launched Pokémon GO game, St. Anthony’s supports the healthy benefits the game brings to its players. Alongside the health benefits, St. Anthony’s wants the players of the game to continue to be safe, so the hospital will be hosting a “Go Healthy!” event where game players can come to the front lawn of the hospital campus and pick up a safety item to use while playing Pokémon GO.

 On Tuesday, July 26, there will be an “open-house”-type event on St. Anthony’s front lawn (off of Maple Street) for Pokémon GO players. From 7 to 9 p.m., players can pick up safety and health tips and a free strobe reflector that they can wear while playing the game to help them be seen by motorists and other game members, or other times they are out walking in the evening. As players continue to search for many different species of Pokémon, we want to remind people that while they may search for the Pokémon on the hospital’s campus outside the facility, players are not permitted to go inside of the hospital in search of a Pokémon in consideration of hospital patients and their families.

 St. Anthony’s can assure players that no Pokémon would be located inside of the hospital and the hospital is not considered a PokéStop. As with any activity, it is important to remember to stay safe and aware of your surroundings.

 Here are some safety tips for Pokémon GO players to remember: • Stay hydrated while playing in the heat of the summer. 

• Be aware of your surroundings. Remember that when you are near a Pokémon, your phone will buzz. Therefore, you do not need to look at your screen constantly.

 • Consider where the game is leading you. Do not go into places you are not permitted to or is not safe to enter.

 • Play with a friend. Don’t go out alone. • Stay in well-lit, common areas.

Remembering these safety tips and utilizing the free safety item from St. Anthony’s while playing Pokémon GO will ensure a safe, fun experience for the players and the people around them. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital recently launched a “Go Healthy!” Web page as a health toolkit for families. The first phase of the Web page, “Go! Kids”, is designed for parents to use to interact with their younger children ages approximately seven to nine, with educational information including worksheets, recipes and activity logs a family may work on together.

To check out “Go Healthy!” visit St. Anthony’s Web site at stanthonyshospital.org/Go. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.