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NRPA Awards $400,000 in Grants to Park and Recreation Agencies to Combat Obesity and Chronic Diseases

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Communities Program, is pleased to announce the communities chosen for the association’s 2011 Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental changE (ACHIEVE) program.

Ashburn, VA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 07, 2011

The(NRPA), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Communities Program, is pleased to announce the communities chosen for the association’s 2011(ACHIEVE) program.

NRPA awarded grants in the amount of $40,000 to 10 park and recreation agencies in the U.S. to promote policies, systems and environmental change strategies—focusing on issues including physical fitness and obesity, nutrition and tobacco cessation—to advance the nation’s efforts to prevent chronic diseases and related risk factors.

The ACHIEVE program aims to promote improvements including increased access to healthy food options such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains at schools, worksites, places of worship and in the general community; and, infrastructure improvements to connect community sectors to foster and promote non-motorized transportation, among others.

The 2011 NRPA ACHIEVE grantees are:Annapolis Recreation and Parks, Annapolis, Md.Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department, Corpus Christi, TexasCity of Helena Parks and Recreation, Helena, Mont.City of Miamisburg, Miamisburg, OhioCity of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, Rock Hill, S.C.Van Buren Township Parks & Recreation, Belleville, Mich.Yuba City Parks & Recreation Department, Yuba City, Calif.The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Greenbelt, Md.Grand Forks Park District, Grand Forks, N.D.Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, Bismarck, N.D.

ACHIEVE encourages the development of collaborative partnerships in all sectors of a community, and aims to combine public health expertise from the state and local levels with the experience of organizations—such as park and recreation agencies—that have expertise in providing community support and outreach.

“ACHIEVE is about changing not only the way we react to our health, but also the way we think from the beginning in terms of our long-term wellbeing,” said Barbara Tulipane, CEO of NRPA.“By promoting policies that improve access to nutritious foods and physical activity in local communities, we can prevent health problems before they happen and increase our overall quality of life.”

Through a partnership between NRPA, the National Association of County and City Health Officials

(NACCHO), the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), a total of 40 U.S. communities in 24 states were chosen to be ACHIEVE communities for 2011.The 2011 communities will build upon the successes of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 ACHIEVE communities.

For more information on ACHIEVE, contact Zarnaaz Bashir at 703.858.4746 or zbashir(at)nrpa.org.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people.Through its network of 20,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources.For more information, visit .For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit .

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Amy KappNational Recreation And Park Association703.858.2151Email Information