By NB3 Foundation

Water trailer? What it is and where it’s headed

You may have seen it on the freeway or driving through your neighborhood but probably weren’t sure what it was or where it was going. Adorned with “Water First!” message, the Notah Begay III Foundation water trailer is eye catching and gets passersby thinking about water.

The Water First! Drink Up.water trailer is what we use to transport, and serve, healthy infused waters to youth and families. Like food trucks and lemonade stands you’ll most likely catch us community gatherings and local events. However, we aren’t there to serve up sugary drinks and treats, we are there to share healthy infused waters and spread the important message of drinking MORE water, and less sugar sweetened beverages.

Since 2018 the trailer has been one tool we have used to educate and encourage healthy hydration in Native communities and beyond. Water is and will always be the best drink choice for our bodies. However, we often hear water is boring, has no flavor, or doesn’t provide the boost of energy ssb’s do. We are trying to change that perspective by educating youth and sharing information to help encourage healthy water consumption.

To kick off 2023, the first stop for the trailer was at the Santa Fe Indian School on Friday, February 24 for the health and wellness event! Hundreds of middle and high school aged students visited the trailer to sample different flavors of infused waters. The students were surprised at flavorful you can make the water by just infusing it with a few different fruits and vegetables. The flavors we shared on that day were Strawberry Cucumber and Apple Cinnamon infused waters. Apple Cinnamon always gets mixed reviews, so if you’re looking for solid favorite, we’d suggest trying Strawberry Cucumber.

The great thing about the water trailer is it grabs everyone’s attention and is suitable for all audiences. Which is why we are hoping to get it out in more communities in 2023. If you would like to request the water trailer at your next community event you can submit a request form for review. Due to capacity, we are only able to travel within our local area. However, our friends and relatives who live further away can catch the trailer at the Gathering of Nations in April!

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3 Foundation at Nike N7 Camps

In February, NB3 Foundation’s NB3FIT team joined Nike and fellow partners to host camps for Native youth Salt River High School in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3FIT runners represent at Nationals

Thirteen NB3FIT youth XC runners officially ended the cross-country season on December 10 at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross-Country Nationals meet in College Station, Texas. The NB3FIT runners went toe-to-toe with the best youth runners from across the country.

One girls’ and one boys eight and under team made the long trip to compete and experience what competing on a national level was like. For many on the team, it looked like a 12-hour drive with families in tow. And for the team, it was less about bringing home gold, and more about celebrating getting to nationals, trying their best and getting better.

NB3FIT coaches hosted families and runners the night before the race for a healthy pre-race dinner and team building activities to help calm nerves. The season is long, and over that time runners and parents become a community of support for one another. These small gatherings and dinners are great way to keep everyone connected and focused on a common goal.

The weather in Texas was nice and mild and the course was in top condition. NB3FIT runners took the starting line representing their families, tribes and running communities back home. Though none of the runners came home with top 10 finishes, most did come home with their own personal records! A fitting end to a record-breaking season.

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By NB3 Foundation

Thank you for a memorable 2022

As the year ends, we would like to extend our gratitude for your support of our work, which has helped us have such an impactful year. In 2022, we had our largest cross-country team in program history; we expanded our direct programs hosting our first-ever summer sports camp featuring basketball, tennis, cross-country and soccer; and celebrated our junior golf team reaching big milestones on and off the course.

In addition to direct programs offered by NB3FIT, our Community Empowerment team continued strengthening community knowledge by leading two cohorts made up of ten communities across Indian Country. Our Evaluation and Research team presented and shared the “Keeping Track: Toolkit for Indigenous Youth Program Evaluation” more widely, digitized the NB3FIT knowledge kits and developed Indigenized knowledge kit icons that resonate with Native youth and their cultural identity.

While we reflect on an encouraging year behind us, we are still focused on the work ahead. Native communities and youth serving programs still need adequate funding and resources to address barriers affecting their children’s health. With your support, we will continue being a leader in Native children’s health working with communities to provide new learning opportunities, resources and direct programs.

With a donation this holiday season, you can provide scholarships for Native youth to attend summer camp; cover the costs of equipment and healthy snacks for youth programs; and help fund community-led initiatives focused on improving the lives of Native youth.

Donations can be made directly on our website at www.nb3foundation.org, or mailed to NB3 Foundation at 290 Prairie Star Rd, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 87004. Every dollar is needed to ensure Native families have access to healthy youth programs for their children.

We appreciate your generosity and support this time of year!

Happy holidays,
Cyanne Lujan
Director off Advancement

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By NB3 Foundation

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month through movement!

Over 150 runners/walkers and supporters came out for the 2022 NB3FIT Community XC Race on Sunday, November 13. The community run is held annually by the NB3 Foundation to in an effort to encourage healthy activities during Native American Heritage Month! This noncompetitive race is one fun way we choose to promote family and community health during November. We also host the Zero to 60 Challenge and NB3FIT Month campaigns each year.

We were happy to see our NB3FIT Cross Country team and  Running Medicine youth runners take on the 2k, 3k and 5k courses Sunday! These youth are running at their best this time of year and is such a encouraging sight to see.  However, the ever-popular Family 1K race always seems to steal the show. Families with babies, parents and grandparents all join in on the final race together. We love to see that families are choosing healthy activities, not only for their children, but for their family as whole!

We thank Santa Ana Golf Club for their support of the foundation and Native youth. They allow us to host our race on their course each year, and it never disappoints. Special thank you to Nike N7 for contributing race shirts and for our community allies for coming out and spreading information to families. The race isn’t possible without our volunteers who consist of staff family members and program youth parents. All of  who show up early in the morning to help make sure the day runs smoothly: making the race a true community effort from start to finish.

We hope to see you all again next year!

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3 Foundation recognized for Native American Coaches Award of Excellence

United Soccer Coaches announced the recipients of the 2022 Coaches Communities Awards of Excellence on Thursday.The recipients will be honored during the annual Advocacy Hour Reception at 4:00 pm on Friday, January 13, 2023, and the annual Women’s Soccer Coaches Breakfast at 8:00 am on Saturday, January 14, 2023, during the 83rd annual United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, Pa.The Coaches Communities Awards of Excellence honor an individual, organization or other entity that has shown a commitment and outstanding work on behalf of the values of each respective group, meeting the association’s highest ideals of inclusion and diversity in the game.The recipients of this year’s Coaches Communities Awards of Excellence are:Asian/Pacific Islander Coaches Award of Excellence – Tiffany Roberts SahaydakBlack Coaches Award of Excellence – Kendall ReyesDisabilities Allies Award of Excellence – Stuart SharpFaith-Based Coaches Award of Excellence – John OrozcoLatino Coaches Award of Excellence – Cynthia CervantesLGBTQ+ & Allies Award of Excellence – Yunio MartinezNative American Coaches Award of Excellence – NB3 FoundationWomen Coaches Award of Excellence – Staci Wilson

“We are excited and honored to be recognized by United Soccer Coaches. Our soccer story started years ago with the hope of introducing the game more widely in Native communities. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our story and to encourage others to do the same.”

 

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3FIT XC teams see top finishes at State, advance to Regionals

NB3FIT XC Team has top finishes the regular season at the USATF NM State Meet at Sky City Casino in Acoma Pueblo. Three of the age groups had top three finishes.
11-12 3K girls finished third place, 8 and under girls finished 2nd and 8 and under boys finished 3rd place.

The team has it’s eyes set on the USATF Regionals Meet in Lyons, Colo. on Saturday, Nov. 19. All runners from the state meet qualified for regionals and are eligible to compete.

The recent time change has put a wrench in training for the team, but the youth and coaches have made the most of it using headlamps while they practice in evenings. They have also stayed in race shape by running in the foundation’s own NB3FIT Community XC Race this past Sunday at the Santa Ana Golf Club.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Regionals will be a great learning experience for runners and families. Youth runners from across the South West will be in Lyons, hoping to get the qualifying spot for nationals next month!

We wish all runners, families and friends safe travels and looking forward to how Team NB3FIT will finish!

State Results:
Top 15 individual finishes include:

2K Boys
Jake Aguilar 7th place – 9:24.84

2K Girls
Tenaeya Calabaza 12th – 10:07.43
Emma Ansera – 15th – 10:22.43

3K Girls
9-10 Girls Ava Toya 9th – 14:39.87

3K Boys
Boys Quniton Begay 9th – 11:30.87

3K Girls (11-12)
Desinayah Pacheco 8th – 12:22.64
Jacqueline Durand 10th – 12:47.112
Gionni Quiver 15th – 13:12:73

4k female
Aja Casiquito 12th – 20:44:08
Analyn  Toya 13th – 21:03:25
Jaylana Sanders 14th –  21:23:22

Team Results:

8 and under girls – 2nd Place

8 and under boys – 3rd Place

11-12 girls – 2nd Place

Full State Results:

https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/218366/results/all

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By NB3 Foundation

Jan Aguilar joins team as office coordinator

Join us in welcoming Jan Aguilar, Pueblo of San Felipe, to the NB3 Foundation team!

In her role, she will perform office and clerical tasks and provide administrative support to the executive team and staff. Jan will be the first face who greets visitors to the organization and has already jumped in demonstrating how helpful and thoughtful she is.  For general questions or help connecting to a particular program, please reach out to Jan at Jan@nb3f.org or by calling the mainline at 505-867-0775.

“My motivation is being a part of a team who change and empower many of our Indigenous youth and families around the world. All children have the ability and confidence to enjoy life. Embracing them with good ethics will lead to healthy futures” – Jan Aguilar
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By NB3 Foundation

NB3FIT XC hits the road

The NB3FIT cross country kicked off the 2022 season with 70 youth runners on the roster; the most in the program’s history. Since then, the team has competed in four meets including meets in Las Cruces and El Paso, Texas. The next few weeks the team will be back in the Albuquerque metro area before hitting the road again to regional race in Lyons, Colo on November 19.  You can catch the team in action next at the Cougar Track Club Meet at Ben Grenier Dam on October 22.

Top finishes in El Paso meet 09/24/2022) :
Jake Aguilar, 4th place 6 & under
Eli Light-Chee, 5th place 6 & under
Jacqueline Durand, 6th place 11-12 Girls
Desinayah Pacheco, 5th place 11-12 Girls
Quinton Begay, 6th place 11-12 Boys
JayLana Sanders, 3rd place 13-14 Girls

Top finishes at Dukes Track Club Meet (10/8/2022):
Desinayah Pacheco: 6th place 11-12 Girls
Chris Wynos: 2nd Place 17-18 Boys
Mosiah Silentalker: 3rd Place 15-16 Boys
Marcus Tenorio: 1st Place 13-14 Boys
Quinton Begay: 3rd Place 11-12 Boys

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By NB3 Foundation

Grande Slam comes up big for NM youth

The Notah Begay III New Mexico Grande Slam fundraising golf event returned to the Santa Ana Golf Club on Thursday, Sept. 29.
The premier golf event celebrating and supporting New Mexico’s children has been on hold since the beginning of the pandemic, but welcomed back over 125-golfers this year. Golfer from across the US and Canada turned out in support of Notah and his passion for healthy youth and communities.

Led by Begay and and the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, the golf tournament serves as an annual fundraiser for not only the foundation but nonprofits around the state. This year, the proceeds with benefit two local organizations: The Somos Unidos Foundation and  Native American Professional Parent Resources, NAPPR, Inc.

Since 2016, the event has raised over $750,00 for the NB3 Foundation and a dozen other organizations focused on eliminating disparities, creating opportunities and providing hope for children in New Mexico.

This year’s special guests include former professional baseball player and World Series champion, Jacoby Ellsbury and NM United’s own Chris Wehan and Kalen Ryden.

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