MAYOR LANDRIEU, CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZE 12 LOCAL SCHOOLS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS PRACTICES
Celebrating $150,000 Grant
Award to Fight Childhood Obesity
NEW ORLEANS – Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New
Orleans Health Department joined the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM)
and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA) to announce a
$150,000 grant award to support the Health Department’s Fit NOLA initiative.
Specifically, this funding will support the Fit NOLA School Designation
Program, which recognizes participating public schools in New Orleans for their
health and wellness practices. Based on national in-school wellness models, Fit
NOLA awarded twelve local schools with either a platinum, gold, silver or
bronze designation and will provide grant funding to help expand the schools’
nutritional and physical activity programming.
“I am honored that USCM
and ABFHA selected our Fit NOLA Schools program for this award,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Obesity is a
growing public health crisis in New Orleans—especially among children. We are
working every day to create an environment that supports physical activity. This
funding will help to further New Orleans’ position as a national leader in fighting
obesity. A healthier New Orleans will lead the nation in economic growth,
education, entrepreneurship, job creation and more.”
The $150,000 grant
award came as a result of the City’s first place ranking in the USCM and
ABFHA’s 2016 Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards, which honors cities with
outstanding programs that encourage healthy weight through balanced diet
choices and regular physical activity. The Fit NOLA initiative was awarded the
grant to advance the work of the Fit NOLA Schools Sector, which aims to connect
school administrations and the students they serve to community resources that
will improve or create the foundation necessary to cultivate healthy
lifestyles. With additional funding from the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s
IMPACT grant, the Fit NOLA initiative will connect with fifty more schools this
year.
“Mayors are at the
forefront of addressing the most significant issues in our communities – and no
issue is more important than the health and welfare of our children,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of
US Conference of Mayors. “From a public health, economic and community
viability perspective, we’ve got to do everything we can to make sure our kids
understand how to eat healthy and stay active.”
"The American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America is
proud to partner with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to support efforts to
reduce and prevent childhood obesity nationwide,” said Susan Neely, president
of the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA) Board of
Directors and president and CEO of the American Beverage Association. “The
winning programs showcase the creativity and innovation of America’s mayors as
well as their dedication to the health and wellness of their communities. This
partnership exemplifies how working together can help drive meaningful results,
while having a real impact in America’s hometowns.”
The Fit NOLA School
Designation Program was developed by the Fit NOLA Schools Sector, a group of
individuals and organizations with a vested interest in the prevention of
childhood obesity within schools. Each Fit NOLA School designee is making
unique strides to improve the health of their entire school. Schools are scored
on play time, school vending and after school programming. The following are
the first twelve schools to receive a Fit NOLA School Designation:
Platinum
ReNEW Schaumburg
Samuel J. Green Charter School
Gold
KIPP Believe College Prep
KIPP Believe Primary
KIPP Central City Primary
KIPP East Community Primary
Langston Hughes Academy
Silver
Edna Karr High School
McDonogh City Park Academy
Mildred Osborne Charter School
New Orleans Charter Science and Math
Bronze
Warren Easton High School
Charlotte Parent, Director of the New Orleans Health
Department, said,
“These teachers and administrators work tirelessly to create a healthy
environment for their students, and this award is a direct reflection of that.
We are proud of the work being done around the city to help us reach our goal
of becoming one of the nation’s healthiest cities by our 300th
anniversary in 2018.”
Applications to enter
into 2016 round of designations are now open. For more information on Fit NOLA
and the School Assessment program visit Fit.Nola.gov
Learn more about the
United States Conference of Mayors/American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy
America (ABHFA) Childhood Obesity Prevention Grants Program online at www.usmayors.org/childhoodobesity.
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