North Mississippians attend Healthy Kids meeting in Kentucky
Mayor Phil Malone of Byhalia represented Marshall County at the 2013 Healthy Kids Healthy Communities meeting in Louisville, Ky., May 28-31.
Also attending were Brandi Shappley, physical education teacher at Senatobia Middle School, and Peggy Linton, project director of Healthy Kids Healthy Communities (HKHC) of DeSoto, Tate and Marshall counties.
“We were so pleased to have local representatives who are making a difference in their communities attend this national gathering,” said Linton. “The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi received the HKHC grant funds through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, but these are the local people who are making the difference — they are changing policies and the environment to improve physical activity and provide better access to healthy foods.”
Said George P. Cossar III, community foundation chairman: “Having Ms. Shappley and Mayor Malone commit the time and effort to attend this meeting is certainly a testament to their commitment to making a difference and ref lects the forward direction in which these communities are heading.”
The HKHC program began in 2009 with a fouryear grant to the community foundation. Project oversight and technical assistance is received through the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The grant has allowed the community foundation to work with local partners within the threecounty area on issues such as parks, farmers markets, community and school gardens, greenways, environmental education, and other areas that improve the quality of life in communities.
For example, with grants funds and commu- nity support, a playground was established at the Byhalia’s only park, which has a walking trail.
The trail where the mayor leads his ‘ Walks with the mayor’ in the early morning hours.
And City Hall has seen reduction in weight through the “Biggest Loser” contest.
“We are adopting policies that improve the health of our community and building new opportunities for play,” said Malone.
“Having the opportunity to network with others doing this same work across the country is beneficial to our town,” said Malone.
In Tate County, the City of Senatobia has received, for the last two years, the Play City USA designation, built a new playground (Sycamore Park), improved the oldest park in the city, passed a complete streets ordinance and received a $238,000 Safe Routes to Schools grant.
“We are pleased to support these local leaders — one in local government, the other in the public schools — to help make communities healthier for all our children,” said community foundation president Tom Pittman.
“Byhalia and Senatobia are great examples for our whole region,” Pittman added.
The community foundation manages 133 donore stablished funds and has distributed $11.2 million to support 420 charitable organizations and activities recommended by its donors, as well as charitable programs established by the foundation. Established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation, the community foundation is an independent 501 (c-3) charitable organization.
The foundation serves Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate and Tunica counties. A board of 20 volunteer civic leaders governs the community foundation.
Visit cfnm.org.