Track and Field for Kids With Asthma

Children living with asthma can exercise confidently, say organizers of a track-and-field event set for Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

To underscore the point and raise money to fight respiratory disease, the American Lung Assn. of Los Angeles County and CSUN’s department of kinesiology are sponsoring Breath Games ’97 for 5- to 14-year-old children with asthma.

The games, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the university track, will include obstacle runs, a long jump, softball throw, shot put, modified discus toss and 50-, 100- and 200-meter dashes.

They will also feature an appearance by Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson.

A 5-kilometer Breath Walk ‘n Run Thru CSUN for adults will precede the games at 9 a.m., with registration starting at 7:30 a.m.

This is the first year the American Lung Assn. of Los Angeles County has teamed up with CSUN to organize the event. “We hope it will be an annual event,” said Deborah Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the association.

Organizers said the event does not require a high level of athletic skill. Participation costs $10 per child for the games and $25 per adult for the walk/run.

In Los Angeles County, there are about 174,000 children 18 and younger living with asthma, one of the most common chronic illnesses among children.

“When asthma is well-managed, children can participate in the same kind of activity with other children without the chronic disease,” said Johanna Goldberg, the association’s program vice president.

“It’s a community outreach program, not just a fund-raiser,” Goldberg said, adding that she expects about 50 children with asthma and 500 adults to participate in the event.

For more information, call (818) 797-5864.