BODYBUILDER GIVES SNACK BARS TO KIDS

Lee Labrada started donating ``Muscle Munchkin'' nutritional snack bars to poor children in Houston two years ago. This week, he is bringing his outreach program to South Florida. Labrada plans to donate the bars monthly to the Miami Police Department to benefit at-risk children. The gift is being made through the Children's Home Society and the Police Athletic League.

The body-builder will inaugurate the Miami program with an appearance 6 p.m. today at Gibson Park, Northwest Third Avenue and 13th Street. ``He's going to give a speech to motivate kids on goals, achievement and structure, as well as distribute the snack bars,'' said Miami Police Officer Jim Sayih. Sayih is director of 9-1-1 Fitness, a local fitness training program geared primarily toward police officers and firefighters. He is also a friend of Labrada's and found out about the outreach program in Houston and wanted to bring it to the neighborhood he patrols. ``While patroling, I began passing out these protein bars to the homeless downtown,'' Sayih said. ``Then, I had the idea about getting Lee down here to start his program in our community.'' Labrada, a former Mr. Universe, developed the specially formulated nutritional snack bars to help kids reach their physical and mental potential. The bars come in six flavors. ``The guiding belief of Labrada's Muscle Munchkins program is that proper nourishment is essential to building the minds and bodies of our children. And strong minds and bodies build our future,'' Labrada says on the website of his company, Labrada Nutrition. With Labrada's program coming to the area, 9-1-1 Fitness is hoping to create a children's fitness program to complement the nutrition program that would benefit the at-risk children of the Children's Home Society and the Police Athletic League, Sayih said.