Concord Elementary, Western Baptist to launch fitness program

Concord Elementary School will launch Project Fit America, a fitness program sponsored by Western Baptist Hospital aimed at reducing childhood obesity, in a ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14. 

Concord is the fourth area school to win the $16,000 grant from Western Baptist for indoor and outdoor fitness equipment, teacher training and physical education curriculum support materials to schools. Paducah’s McNabb Elementary and Graves County’s Central Elementary were awarded the program in 2007, while Lone Oak Elementary received it in 2009.      

The outdoor equipment behind the school will be free and open, so the community may use it to get in shape.  

Cardiologist Patrick Withrow, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer at Western Baptist, said educating the community, including children, on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors is the hospital’s goal.

“Childhood obesity is on the rise, and Kentucky leads the nation in smoking,” said Dr. Withrow. “We are seeing hypertension and diabetes more in younger children, so we need to intervene early to educate children and their caregivers.”

Dr. Withrow said the elementary fitness program provides the perfect vehicle for exercise and nutrition education for children and their families.

Principal Ginger Hollowell said Concord is excited to partner with Western Baptist and Project Fit America.

“This grant will give us another early intervention tool that we can utilize to educate children, parents and teachers about being healthy and happy,” she said.

  Project Fit America is a national nonprofit charity that provides exemplary cardiovascular health and fitness programming to schools.  Its mission is to create new opportunities for kids to be active, fit and healthy by providing vital resources and support for physical education one schoolyard at a time.  For more information, visit projectfitamerica.org.

Western Baptist Hospital of Paducah is a regional medical and referral center, serving about 200,000 patients a year from four states. With more than 1,700 employees and 240 physicians, it offers a full range of services, including cardiac and cancer care, diagnostic imaging, women’s and children’s services, surgery, emergency treatment, rehabilitation and more. It is part of Baptist Healthcare System, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare systems in Kentucky. For information, see westernbaptist.com.