Eat Smart, Move More NC Recipes for Success
Read how a local park gained popularity after receiving a face-lift.
Recipe Name:
If you re-build it, they will come.
Ingredients:
Target audience
- Residents of Taylorsville (Alexander County, NC)
Partners involved
- Alexander County Health Department
- N.C. Cooperative Extension Service
- Taylorsville Times Newspaper
- Eat Smart Move More Committee
- Town of Taylorsville
- Mayor of Taylorsville
Resources needed for the project
- Eat Smart, Move More…NC Community Grant funding
- Eat Smart Move More Committee members
- Cooperative Extension Agent to teach Families Eating Smart and Moving More and Kids in the Kitchen classes
- Town of Taylorsville maintenance department staff and equipment
- Volunteers
- Inmates
Instructions:
The project
- To increase the use of Matheson Park in Taylorsville by creating a fitness trail.
- Reconstruction of the Matheson park track, adding “Soiltac” to make it accessible to wheelchairs and strollers
- Adding 10 fitness stations around the track
- Offering an outdoor class at the park; “Kids in the Kitchen” to teach kids how to fix a healthy meal
Basic steps to implementing the project
- A committee was formed to develop and oversee the project
- The Taylorsville’s maintenance staff and inmates prepared the track for resurfacing.
- Contractor installed the new track surface
- Volunteers assembled and installed fitness stations
- Park enhancements were promoted with a ribbon-cutting ceremony
- The first outdoor Kids in the Kitchen class was held
The timeframe
- Park renovations began in October 2006
- The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held July 2007
Results:
Outcomes of the project
- The use of the park has been increased: seven schools, walking groups, families and individuals are using the park, trail and fitness stations.
- 20 kids learned to fix a healthy meal
Contact Information:
Name, Title: Angelia Bowman, Health Promotion Coordinator
Agency: Alexander County Health Department
Address: 338 1st Avenue SW
City, State, Zip: Taylorsville, NC 28684
Phone: (828) 632-9704 ext. 320
Fax: (828) 632-9008
Email: abowman@alexandercountync.gov
