Hospital awards elementary school $1,700 grant for student health and wellness program

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla., June 12, 2017 On May 11, the Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awarded the Read-Pattillo Elementary School in New Smyrna Beach a $1,700 grant to support their health and wellness program. We know that reading, writing and math are essential parts of a child's education. However, health education cannot be ignored. It is a vital part of empowering children, their families and our community with the skills necessary to develop healthy habits, said Cindy Crandall, Read-Pattillo Elementary School vice principal. The elementary school developed a wellness plan to help families make healthy lifestyle changes. The plan features three large scale events, including a free community health fair with 13 learning stations that highlight community agencies, educational resources, and health care professionals to address the problems of obesity and cardiovascular health. Other events will be centered on nutritional education and designing an at-home fitness program. When we educate our students and their families about the importance of health, we enable them to make positive changes that affect their long-term quality and productivity of life, said Kim McKinney, Read-Pattillo Elementary School principal. Eating right and exercising is the answer for all ages. This wellness project will serve the 450 students enrolled at Read-Pattillo Elementary School, of which, nearly 75 percent are at or below the poverty level. The percentage of children with obesity in the U.S. has more than tripled since the 1970s and about one in five school-aged children has obesity. This can have both immediate and long-term impacts on a child's physical, social and emotional health, said Jean Tauber, Florida Hospital New Smyrna foundation chairperson. The Read-Pattillo Elementary Schools wellness program is helping our local kids learn healthy habits to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation has undertaken an initiative to improve the health of the community through a community grants program. The hospitals foundation will provide community grants to organizations dedicated to improving the health of the community. Organizations interested in applying should contact the foundation office at Call386-424-5015. About Florida Hospital New Smyrna Florida Hospital New Smyrna is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 45 hospital campuses and 8,200 licensed beds in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital New Smyrna has 112-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees. For more information about Florida Hospital New Smyrna, visit www.FHNewSmyrna.org. Photo Caption: On May 11, the Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation awarded the Read-Pattillo Elementary School in New Smyrna Beach a $1,700 grant to support their Hop to it Health fitness program. From left to right: Florida Hospital New Smyrna Foundation chairman Pat Driver, Read-Pattillo Elementary School Principal Kim McKinney, Read-Pattillo Elementary School Vice Principal Cindy Crandal, and Florida Hospital New Smyrna foundation chairperson Jean Tauber.