Cary Receives $120,000 GRANT from the John Rex Endowment FOR BOND PARK IMPROVEMENTS

Funding to be used for sidewalks, signs, walking groups & camp programs

CARY , NC – In recognition of the Town of Cary ’s commitment to increasing opportunities for active living, the John Rex Endowment has awarded the Town a $120,000 Active Community and Neighborhood grant for upgrades and programs at Fred G. Bond Metro Park , 801 High House Road .  The Endowment recently announced the award as part of a comprehensive $2.5 million grant award to seven local agencies to help address the nation’s growing obesity epidemic; Cary ’s grant will be used to install sidewalks and walkways, install signage to ease navigation, and implement walking programs.  Cary will be working with the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch in the N.C. Division of Public Health to implement these plans.

“We’re honored to have received this exemplary award,” said Recreation Manager Dwayne Jones.  “This award reinforces our commitment to providing exceptional recreational and fitness options for our citizens that improves their quality of life.  We will continue to seek innovative alternatives, such as grant funding, to help enhance the health and well-being of the Cary community.”   

The Town’s award includes funding for the following improvements:

• Construction of new sidewalks and walkways to connect the Cary Senior Center to Bond Park Community Center and to provide safe access to the trails and greenways inside Bond Park. 

• Installation of new park signage and printing of park maps to increase the ease of navigability of Bond Park facilities for park visitors.

• Design, implementation and facilitation of social walking groups to utilize the trails and greenways in Bond Park.  Social walking groups will target diverse groups within the Cary community.

• Design, implementation and facilitation of summer camp programs to familiarize youth with the benefits of using parks and greenways as resources for physical activity and lifestyle changes.  Programs will also be used to target summer day camp participants in order to increase familiarity with Bond Park for future visits.

The 2007 grant recipients also included 15 Wake County Public schools , four neighborhood projects, and additional funding for the expansion of a pediatric pre-diabetes screening program.    

The purpose of the Active Community and Neighborhood Grant Program is to provide funding to Wake County communities who are working towards the established goals and objectives of the John Rex Endowment Childhood Overweight Initiative and Eat Smart, Move More: North Carolina’s statewide movement that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray.  More information about the program can be found at www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/index.html.

The John Rex Endowment invests in the development and support of activities, programs and organizations that improve the health of underserved people in Wake and surrounding counties.  Currently, the Endowment supports visible and measurable improvements in the health of children by improving access to health services, by promoting healthy behaviors and by providing children with opportunities for growth and development. 

For more about the John Rex Endowment and the grant program, visit their Web site at www.rexendowment.org.

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