Healthy Youth Childhood Obesity Prevention grant supports recreation and fitness opportunities
Culpeper County ninth grade students picked up their Chromebooks and other virtual learning supplies at the start of the school year from Eastern View and Culpeper County High Schools. Included in their back to school materials was a free rental pass to enjoy recreation opportunities through Lake Pelham Adventures. Students can use this pass anytime through October 18, 2020.
Lake Pelham Adventures offers canoe, kayak, paddle board and paddle boat rentals. It is located behind the Ole Country Store and Bakery on Route 29 south of Culpeper.
This program is made possible through a partnership with Culpeper Wellness Foundation, Culpeper County, Culpeper County Schools and other local organizations, weaving together five sectors: non-profit, public schools, county and town government and private industry. The organizations were collectively the recipients of a Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth Childhood Obesity Prevention grant. Established in 1999 by the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) empowers Virginia’s youth to make healthy choices.
Laura Loveday, Culpeper County Special Projects and Grant Administrator, secured the $32,741 award in May 2018. “This grant has afforded us the opportunity to create a Healthy Community Action Team, offer free physical fitness programs though Culpeper Parks and Recreation, and provide free weekly fitness programs to all of the Kid Central after school care sites in partnership with Culpeper Sport and Fitness and Culpeper Wellness Foundation group fitness staff. As we reached the end of the two-year award period we looked for new ways to offer Culpeper youth free physical recreation opportunities that were safe and achievable with respect to Covid-19,” offered Loveday.