FitWorth Healthy City Initiative restructures with new home, new director
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The FitWorth Healthy City Initiative, created to promote the health of Fort Worth families, is evolving to maintain sustainability into the future.
The program, developed by Mayor Betsy Price and the Fort Worth City Council under the auspices of the Fort Worth Promotion and Development Fund, has a new home under a separate 501c3 entity, Foundation for Wellness, Texas.
The new entity is chaired by former FitWorth Program Director Leslie Casey and housed in partnership with UNT Health Science Center. Kate Blackburn, former Public Relations and Public Affairs Coordinator for Catholic Charities Fort Worth, has been named FitWorth Program Director.
The organization will continue its work to unite community partners, promote existing resources, and create opportunities for families to increase physical activity and improve nutrition.
"FitWorth is a crucial part of improving the health and wellbeing of Fort Worth children and adults," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. "We want Fort Worth to be recognized around the country as an active and fit city, and the changes announced today will ensure FitWorth's long-term success."
From its start the FitWorth movement has been driven by community organizations passionate about healthy lifestyles, including Aetna, Albertson's, Cook Children's Healthcare Network, Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth City Council, Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas Health Resources, Oncor and UNT Health Science Center. Representatives from many of these same organizations will serve on the board of Foundation for Wellness, Texas, and are being joined by representatives from Whitley Penn, The Starr Conspiracy, and Kelly Hart & Hallman.
"Our mission is to create solutions for a healthier community and providing FitWorth with a permanent home and access to the Health Science Center's educational, research and care resources makes perfect sense," said Health Science Center President Michael Williams, DO, MD, MBA.
Since its launch, the program has promoted family-friendly events like the Cowtown CALF Run, held wellness challenges across the Fort Worth ISD for children in grades 3 to 8, initiated corporate challenges and "Fit15" walks for adults, and conducted cooking competitions with local high school students. More than 30,000 children have been directly and regularly impacted by FitWorth activities.
To learn more, and to join the movement, see www.fitworth.org.
SOURCE FitWorth Healthy City Initiative; UNT Health Science Center
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