Funds used for mini-summer rec program, cooking classes and a healthy snack fair booth

FARGO – The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Caring Foundation awarded Carrington Health Center, doing business as CHI St. Alexius Health, Carrington, a $3,383 BCBSND Rural Health Grant in 2017. The grant was used to put together a fair booth focused on healthy snacks, a four-week mini-summer recreation program, as well as age appropriate cooking classes.

Jennifer Whitman, Wellness and Care Management Coordinator at CHS St. Alexius Health Carrington said, "All the projects have been a great success. We had a good response from the public serving over one hundred people at our fair booth in June where fair-goers could create their own fiber and protein rich trail mix with different nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. It was a healthy alternative to some of the other fair food options such as cotton candy and deep-fried foods."

The four-week mini-summer recreation program ran from July through the end of summer-break and was a great way to introduce elementary aged children to various physical activities. Kids kindergarten through fifth grade enjoyed soccer, yoga, a scavenger hunt and kickball. "We don't have soccer in our community," shared Whitman. "So it was something different for our kids to be able to try."

The cooking classes offered nutritional education. The classes discussed healthy food recipes based on different age groups and their nutritional needs.

The BCBSND Rural Health Grant Program is a collaborative with the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND). The purpose of the grant program is to support local health care providers and their communities by offering funding for projects that champion increased physical activity and promote the health and well-being of rural North Dakotans.

A complete listing past recipients of the grant program are available on the CRH website, http://www.ruralhealth.und.edu/projects/bcbs-grant-program.