Randall’s Island Park Alliance Receives Grant to Promote Health of East Harlem and South Bronx Residents
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 18, 2017 -- Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) announced today that it has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) to provide funding for free health and wellness programming at Randall’s Island Park, with a focus on increasing physical activity and nutrition education opportunities for underserved residents of East Harlem and the South Bronx. The 330-acre waterfront park offers a wide range of sports venues, cultural events and environmental exploration to the residents of these surrounding communities that are well above the citywide mean for instances of obesity, diabetes, and asthma.
Using the funds awarded by NYSHealth, RIPA will expand its family-friendly exploration days at the Randall’s Island Urban Farm by doubling its hours of operation during weekends. The Randall’s Island Urban Farm, which allows the public to explore and learn about fruits and vegetables, chickens and even rice paddies, will now be open every Saturday and Sunday, May through October and it will also offer a number of workshops on nutrition, cooking and other healthy food topics. RIPA will also double the number of outdoor fitness classes offered in 2017 by hiring more certified instructors to lead its popular yoga and dance boot camp programs. Additionally, RIPA plans to encourage more children to get active through increased participation in the Jesse Owens Track & Field Club. These expanded offerings compliment the Alliance’s other public programming, which includes outdoor movie nights, fun festivals and a wide array of walking tours.
Aimee Boden, President of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance commented, “We are excited to receive this generous grant from NYSHealth to create, expand, and refine our free community events and workshops to promote the health of East Harlem and South Bronx residents.”
Boden added, “Using these funds, we can adjust our programming offered at Randall’s Island Park to be responsive to the needs and desires of the children and families in our neighboring communities.”
“RIPA meets a vital community need by providing free outdoor programming to the residents of East Harlem and the South Bronx,” said David Sandman, President and CEO of NYSHealth. “East Harlem and the South Bronx are both well above the citywide average for rates of obesity, diabetes, and asthma while also falling below the citywide mean for regular physical activity. Increasing physical activity and providing nutrition education to residents of these communities are fundamental to making them healthier places.”
About the Randall’s Island Park Alliance
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA), founded in 1992, is a public-private partnership with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation that seeks to realize the unique potential of 480 waterfront parkland acres anchoring Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. RIPA works with the City and local communities to provide an innovative and exciting destination through a wide range of sports venues, cultural events and environmental exploration. As the dedicated steward of Randall’s Island Park, the Alliance sustains, maintains, develops and programs the Park to support the wellbeing of all New Yorkers. The Park offers miles of waterfront pathways, almost 9 acres of wetlands, an urban far, a track and field stadium, a golf center, a 20-court tennis center and dozens of new playing fields, as well as the Harlem River Event Site.
Media Contacts for RIPA:
Jennifer Wainwright
Randall’s Island Park Alliance
212-830-7722
Jennifer.wainwright(at)randallsisland(dot)org
Melissa Sheer
Kent Place Communications
917-690-2199
melissa(at)kentplacellc(dot)com
Melissa Sheer, Kent Place Communications, +1 917-690-2199, [email protected]
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