Wheaton Park District receives two health-based grants

Wheaton Park District recently received two grants based on its heath-focused work in the community.

First, the Illinois Association of Park Districts named the district as a recipient for the 2014 IAPD PowerPlay Grant Program.

The primary goal of the PowerPlay! Program is to get children active through physical fitness, wise nutritional choices, and overall health.

The district will use the grant funds to support PowerPlay! Summer Camp for children ages 6 through 12. The camp, which will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 14-18, will give kids tools for healthy living through outdoor aerobic exercise, fitness assessments, and muscle strength and endurance exercises.

The cost for the PowerPlay! Camp is $35 for residents, $44 nonresidents. For more information, call Parks Plus Fitness Center at (630) 871-6713.

Second, the district was chosen by the Illinois Department of Public Health to receive a Heartsaver Automated External Defibrillator Fund grant award in the amount of $450 to offset 50 percent of the cost of an AED. The park district owns and operates 13 AEDs at 10 different facilities.

Wheaton Park District employees are trained annually on CPR, AED usage, and general first aid practices.