RWC Parks & Rec Dept. Earns "Champs for Change" Honors

[The following was submitted by the City of Redwood City.]

The work the city has done to increase fitness for thousands of young Redwood City residents has earned the Parks and Recreation Department the "Champions for Change - Award of Excellence" from the Network for a Healthy California and the Bay Area Nutrition and Physical Activity Collaborative (BANPAC ). 

The BANPAC is a regional collaborative of over 200 health-related organizations dedicated to helping communities become healthier through better nutrition, physical activity and increased access to healthy foods.

The City of Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department was recognized for making a difference in youth fitness through three programs. First, through a collaboration between the Parks, Recreation and Community Services team, the Sequoia Health Care District, the Redwood City School District, and the Peninsula Covenant Community Center, nearly 5,000 K-5 youth trained weekly in fitness  with the guidance of specially trained Physical Education (PE) coaches through a program called "PE Plus Program."  

In addition, Redwood City and Sequoia Hospital partnered for the City's annual "Make Time for Fitness" event which served 1,000 4th graders at Red Morton Park.  Finally, the City was recognized for annually serving over 3,000 youth through its after-school sports programs.

The Parks and Recreation team was presented their award by Joe Prickitt, Project Director for Network for a Healthy California at Santa Clara County Public Health Department at an awards ceremony hosted by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department at the Network for a Healthy California's Bay Area Region Summit last month. 

"Receiving this award is a testament to the City's commitment to youth health, the strength of our wonderful community partnerships, and their willingness to work together to tirelessly make Redwood City a healthier place," states Chris Beth, Director, Parks and Recreation.

To learn more about Parks and Recreation's contributions to the community, visitwww.redwoodcity.org and to learn more about the BANPAC, visit www.banpac.org.