Finley - NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Meet Finley, NYS AHPERD's Mascot!

Jessica Synenki

Executive Director

"Developing healthy exercise habits early sets the foundation for lifelong wellness. This book introduces children to simple ways to begin—and encourages them to motivate a friend to join in, too.,"

"We were thrilled to see local artists Matthew and Marc Verri bring Finley and Sasha to life through their imaginative artwork in this book. A fun element in the book is that some of the drawn scenes may look familiar to Little Falls residents."

Finley Gets Moving is an interactive storybook for children that focuses on the importance of physical activity, published by NYS AHPERD. The book gives readers the opportunity to bring the pages to life with accompanying the physical activity. The main character Finley is a sheepdog and the official mascot of NYS AHPERD who travels to their events throughout New York State. Finley loves to be active and in the book shows his best friend Sasha, a calico cat, how to get moving and make healthy decisions. Reneé Brown, a member of NYS AHPERD, authored the book, and illustrators were Little Falls residents Matthew Verri and his father, Marc Verri.