Moms don’t receive enough recognition for all of the wonderful and extraordinary things that they do, but we want to change that! Moms Who Rock will honor moms who are making a difference by creating a healthier home and community. We will share their stories and showcase their talents that have made them rock stars. Being a mom is a full-time job, and these moms have gone above and beyond and deserve recognition for all of their accomplishments.

The first recipient of our Moms Who Rock award is – Jen Palkovic!

Please watch this video to see why…

Making exercise fun and living a healthy lifestyle are the keys to preventing obesity and the health issues that follow. Childhood obesity is a disease that is preventable. With its rate increasing, promoting healthy living within your family is becoming more and more urgent, which is what we here at the Skinny Gene Project are all about. Playgrounds and parks help promote well-being by enriching your children’s mental and physical health. Playgrounds provide a place where children can have fun while they exercise, and they also create a space where the community can come together. Rolling Hills Park is located in Rancho Penasquitos, an area in San Diego. The park has become the central hub for the neighborhood with its convenient location next to the local elementary school. The Palkovic family loved to go there with their two daughters, Isabella and Sienna, and still frequent the park with Isabella. After the sudden death of Sienna, the Palkovic’s wanted to honor their daughter’s life and give back to the community that united to support them during their tragedy.

Sienna’s PlayGarden

Sienna loved the outdoors and Rolling  Hills Park was her favorite place to go. Jen Palkovic took it upon herself to form a committee whose mission was to renovate the outdated and unsafe park in memory of Sienna. The love and community effort put into this project will make the new playground completely unique. Even Sienna and Isabella’s friends are supporting the project in their own special way – some of the “Super Kids” have even donated their birthday or Holy Communion money. With the creation of Sienna’s PlayGarden, the Palkovic family and anyone who knew Sienna will feel her love and her light when they are in the park, and that is something that will live on forever. They are calling it a “PlayGarden” because the outcome will be a nature-inspired playground with ornamental trees, a community garden, and butterfly accents throughout.

Jen’s goal is for the park to commemorate Sienna’s playful, loving nature and create a happy place for Isabella to go to “be a kid” and lead a healthy life surrounded by friends. Isabella has also been a big part of the project by helping with the art and helping design the logo.

Facing the most difficult heartbreak that a parent can experience, Jen is putting her heart and soul into this project to help with the healing process.  She and her committee are renovating this rusty old park to create a safe place for the neighborhood kids. Their addition to the community is truly amazing, and will provide a new place for kids to have fun and be active.

Jen is emulating the values of healthy living that the Skinny Gene Project promotes; she is a Mom Who Rocks!!!

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The Skinny Gene Project is proud to support the Palkovic family and Sienna’s PlayGarden. To learn more about or donate to this much needed community project, please visit www.siennasplaygarden.isabellasgiraffeclub.org.