County gets Eat Smart, Move More grant

Brunswick County has received a state Eat Smart, Move More N.C. Community Grant to fund local healthy eating and physical activity projects in 2012-13. Additional project partners include the Obesity Prevention Initiative at UNCW, the Brunswick County Health Department, the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization and the town of Navassa.
The grant will fund play structures and equipment for Phoenix Park, which currently has no infrastructure to encourage physical activity.
The first event associated with this project, Phoenix Park Design Day, will take place from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 9, at Phoenix Park in Navassa. Children will contribute directly by actually designing the playground area to be constructed at the park this spring with grant funds. They will vote for which play structures and even the colors of playground equipment they prefer. Lunch will be provided, as well as lots of giveaways, including a new bicycle.
There will also be a health fair with free health screenings, information and resources. All are welcome. Phoenix Park is located on the northeast corner of Cedar Hill Road and Mount Misery Road in Navassa.
“The town of Navassa is very grateful to everyone who was involved in securing this grant for our community,” Mayor Eulis Willis said. “Building Phoenix Park has been a priority for us for many years and this new playground is a big step forward in making the park a reality. We must thank N.C. DHHS, the DuPont Corporation, who has leased the land for this park to the town, and DAK Industries, for their continued efforts in our community. This opportunity will have a great impact on the Phoenix community and Navassa is excited to begin construction.”
The Eat Smart, Move More Community Grants Program includes projects that aim to make healthier eating and increased physical activity easier to achieve. Funded plans may include adding walking paths in neighborhoods or around schools and creating community gardens or making healthy foods more available in schools and worksites.
Nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in North Carolina are now overweight or obese, and the prevalence of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and depression–diseases related to obesity–are also on the rise. Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina works to reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic disease among North Carolinians by helping citizens to eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight.
All funded projects are described on the Eat Smart, Move More NC website at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina is a statewide movement that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray. For more information on Brunswick County’s project, contact Tamlyn Shields at shieldsa@uncw.edu.