We sent the following release out from Central Park NC offices today:

For Immediate Release: July 28, 2008

CENTRAL PARK NC Receives $54,000 Grant from N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund to Help Make Star a 'Fit Community'

(STAR, NC) – Recently, Central Park NC was awarded a Fit Community grant from the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF). The Fit Community initiative recognizes and rewards North Carolina municipality and county-led efforts to promote physical activity and healthy eating programs, policies, environments and lifestyles.

"By promoting healthy living, these communities are making a real difference," said Lt. Gov. Perdue, HWTF chair. "Star is improving the well-being of their residents and helping lead the way to a healthier North Carolina."

The $54,000 grant awarded to Central Park NC provides funding over a two-year period, beginning July 1st. It seeks to build a walking trail and implement programming that supports the use of the trail by seniors. The town of Star has made a commitment to altering town policies in ways that support and promote healthy lifestyles. A number of organizations in Montgomery County are partnering to make this grant a success including the Montgomery County Health Department, Montgomery County Council on Aging, Montgomery County Parks and Recreation, Troy-Montgomery Senior Center, Montgomery Planning Committee for Services to the Elderly, and the NC Family Caregiver Support Program at Cooperative Extension.

Multiple grant applications were received from across the state in response to a Request for Proposals; awards were also given to City of Burlington Recreation and Parks, the Caswell County Parks and Recreation Department, the Town of Edenton, the Town of Faison, FirstHealth of the Carolinas (Town of Pinehurst), Pitt County Government, Salisbury Land Management and Development for their dedication to improving the quality of life for local residents. All North Carolina municipalities were eligible to apply for $60,000 in grant funding for a period of two years. Over the past three years, HWTF has awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants as part of Fit Community.

Obesity has emerged as a major threat to children and adults across the United States, and especially here in North Carolina. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61 percent of North Carolina adults are overweight or obese, with obesity-related expenses adding up to more than $2.1 billion annually. HWTF's Fit Community initiative supports local efforts to address this growing problem. For more information about Fit Community program, visit www.FitCommunityNC.org.


About the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund

The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund makes North Carolina stronger, both physically and economically, by funding programs that promote preventive health. Created by the General Assembly in 2000 to allocate a portion of North Carolina's share of the national tobacco settlement, HWTF has invested $143 million to support preventive health initiatives and $102 million to fund prescription drug assistance programs. For more information, please visit www.HealthWellNC.com.

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