Annual summer program collaborates with Cedars-Sinai to offer free health services for kids

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Summer Night Lights program, well known for keeping children out of trouble, is teaming up with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to offer free health check-ups and immunizations for kids.

Summer Night Lights offers activities in 32 parks, and provides a place for the youth to play sports, take part in arts and crafts and other activities.

At Valley Plaza Park in North Hollywood, hundreds of people turned out.

"We don't really have games like this at home. You can also have fun with other kids here," one young attendee said. "It's not just you and your siblings. You can also check on your health and have fun at the same time."

Cedars-Sinai's program "COACH for Kids and Their Families" helps students get ready to go back to school by getting them up to date on their physical exams and immunizations.

"With the recent measles outbreak, we've given a lot of measles vaccines, a lot of education," Antoinette Barrett with Cedars-Sinai said.

The yearly program is proving to help people in low-income communities find safe places to get closer to their families and their neighbors.

"Every summer, this program has proven that crime does go down during the summer. So that's why every year we're funded and doing this program every summer," said Johnny O., a Summer Night Lights Coordinator.

Summer Night Lights is held every Wednesday through Saturday throughout the summer.