Friday, 29 July 2011

Young people from Pormpuraaw in far north Queensland will be creating their own healthy food anthem next week to promote healthy eating for a long life.

Country music star and Queenslander Adam James is heading north to be part of the Jimmy Little Foundation’s Thumbs Up! school workshop at Pormpuraaw State School on 10 and 11 August.

Joined by Indigenous hip hop star and Thumbs Up! program manager Ebony “Ebsta” Williams and Australian music veteran Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup, the trio will be promoting Uncle Jimmy Little’s message of Thumbs Up! to good tucker for a long life.

“I am really excited about joining the team to spread the message about the importance of lots of fruit, vegetables and water in your diet,” Adam said.

“Uncle Jimmy is an inspiration to many Aboriginal people around the country and I’m proud to be part of the songwriting and music video clip workshops for The Jimmy Little Foundation.

“Diabetes is an epidemic that is killing our people – in some places more than half the community has diabetes or kidney failure; we need to act now.”

Chief Executive Officer of The Jimmy Little Foundation and original drummer with The Angels and GANGgajang, Buzz Bidstrup said the visit to Far North Queensland was a first for the team.

“Since the foundation was established by Uncle Jimmy in 2006, we have visited more than 20 communities, mainly in the Northern Territory.

“We plan to visit five other remote communities in Queensland over the next 12 months, giving kids the opportunity to have their voice heard by creating their own healthy food anthem.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live, on average, 17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians and are eight times more likely to die of diabetes than other Australians, and we are working hard with others to reverse this alarming statistic.”

Pormpuraaw students will be mentored by Wiradjuri woman Ebony and Noonukul and Goempul man Adam James over the two days, writing their own song, sharing their favourite foods, recording their song and videoing their music film clip.

They will also visit their local community store where the Thumbs Up! Healthy Food Seal is pointing shoppers to the healthier food choices available in store.

The store program aims to support the school workshops by reinforcing the message that a balanced diet is key to a longer life and reversing the incidence of diabetes and kidney failure, which in many remote communities affects more than half the population.