Communities, School Honored for Work to Promote Health

Pictured Above: Kathie Gordon, TSET HLP Grantee; Rep. Carl Newton;  Connie Befort, Program Manager - TSET Healthy Community Incentive Grants; Yolanda Creswell, TSET HLP Grantee; Melinda Gould, City of Fairview; Debra Button, Northwest Technology Center; Paul Southwick, Fairview City Manager; Chris Hoffman, City of Fairview Police Chief; John Woods, TSET Executive Director; Sen. Bryce Marlatt

Fairview Public Schools and the cities of Fairview and Noble were recently honored for their efforts to improve health and quality of life with TSET incentive grants.

Fairview Public Schools plan on using their $3,000 Healthy Schools Incentive Grant to purchase cafeteria equipment to provide healthy and nutritious meals for students. In order to receive a grant, the district put a variety of strategies in place to promote health and wellness for students and staff.

The City of Fairview received a $20,000 Healthy Communities Incentive Grant for making all city property tobacco-free and vapor-free, adopting street and zoning policies that improve walkability and promoting community gardens and farmers markets in their community. The city will utilize grant funds for a walking trail project.

Noble was also recognized in May for efforts to improve health and successfully attained a $25,000 Healthy Communities Incentive Grant. The City of Noble will use funds to further develop Dane Park, which includes a skate park and pavilion for community events.

“These grants recognize the efforts of communities and schools that are actively promoting healthy lifestyles” said TSET Executive Director John Woods. “We applaud these incentive grant recipients for their commitment to investing in the health of their citizens and students. This will positively improve health for generations to come.”

Governor’s Fitness Walk Celebrates Oklahoma Employee Health and Fitness Month

Pictured Above: Jim Reese, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture; John Woods, TSET Executive Director; Sen. Anastasia Pittman; Julie Cox-Kain, Deputy Secretary of Oklahoma Health and Human Services; Dave Lopez, Oklahoma Secretary of State; Dr. Terry Cline, Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of Health

Oklahoma state leaders led the 6th annual “Walk for Wellness” at the state capitol complex this month. 

The event highlights May as Oklahoma Employee Health and Fitness Month and the importance of a healthy Oklahoma workforce.

Thank you to Governor Fallin and cabinet members for bringing awareness to the importance of moving more. For information on physical activity in the workplace and worksite wellness programs, click here. 

TSET Healthy Living Program Grantee Appointed as ‘America Walks’ Program Fellow

A Rogers County grantee was recently named as a national Fellow for a Walking College Training Program. Jody Reiss, TSET Healthy Living Program Project Director, of Rogers County Volunteers for Youth will participate as one of 24 Fellows in the Walking College Training Program through America Walks. America Walks leads a coalition of national, state and local advocacy groups who share a vision for a Walkable America. The four-month training program is designed to strengthen local efforts to make communities more walkable. At the conclusion of the Walking College Program in November, Fellows will develop a Walking Action Plan for improving walkability in their communities. Walking is one of the easiest ways for adults to get their recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity, but programs like the four-month Walking College Training Program will help make walking even easier for the residents in Reiss’ community of Claremore. Reiss, along with the other fellows in the program, will work to develop a Walking Action Plan for improving walkability in their communities. Congratulations, Jody! We look forward to seeing your efforts at work in Rogers County.

The Relationship between Tobacco and Mental Health: It’s Complicated

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Tobacco Stops With Me is raising awareness on the connection between mental illness and tobacco use. Studies show that half of all smoking-related deaths occur in people with mental health disorders. People with mental health disorders smoke more than half of all cigarettes produced, but only represent about 18.5 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. For more information about the health impact of tobacco use, visit StopsWithMe.com.

Tobacco Won’t Stop Until Kids Never Start – Talk to Your Kids on World No Tobacco Day

Every year on May 31, Tobacco Stops with Me highlights the health risks associated with tobacco use in hopes of ending the tobacco epidemic for good on World No Tobacco Day. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and more than 16 million Americans suffer from a disease caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including an estimated 50,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. In Oklahoma, smoking alone kills more than 7,500 adults annually and leaves thousands suffering with chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Tobacco won’t stop until kids never start. On World No Tobacco Day, talk to your kids and prepare them to take on the world. Click here for tips on how to get the conversation started.