As part of the YMCA's Activate America Campaign and the Healthy Lifestyles initiatives passed in recent years by the West Virginia Legislature, Erick Santana visited the Capitol to lead a group of school children in a Zumba class. Zumba is an aerobic fitness program which mixes body sculpting movements with dance steps derived from various dance styles with a combination of fast and slow rhythms. It targets areas such as the glutes, legs, arms, abdominals, and the heart.

Activate America® is the YMCA's approach to address the nation's growing health crisis. The stated mission of this program is to compel people to transform the way they work, both internally and externally and to support all kids, adults, families and communities in their pursuit of well-being in spirit, mind and body.

The State Capitol Building hosted the 12th annual Capital City Pumpkin Drop, hosted by the Education Alliance. Since 1998, students from all over West Virginia have used their creativity and math, science and physics know-how to win this skillful competition. Nearly 900 elementary, middle school and high school students from 31 schools representing 14 counties tested their math and science skills to compete and see whose pumpkin would withstand the drop from the third floor roof of the main Capitol building in their homemade containers.

The pumpkins must be eight inches in diameter or larger and the inside of the pumpkin may not be altered. The contains must be designed so that the pumpkin may be removed for inspection by the ground crew quickly after hitting the ground, with public safety in mind and to prevent damage to Capitol Complex property. The Pumpkin Drop is judged by Alliance staff and the Bridgemont Community and Technical College in Montgomery, WV. Trophies and cash prizes were to be awarded to the winners whose pumpkins survived the fall and landed closest to the designated target.