Illinois Park and Recreation Association and Illinois Park and Recreation Foundation announce grant funding
Today, the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) and Illlinois Park and Recreation Foundation (IPRF) announce that six park and recreation agencies have been awarded $25,000 Grants in 2020 to support joining the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) and expanding the campaign for free outdoor fitness across Illinois. The awardees are as follows:
New Lenox Community Park District
Village of Hawthorn Woods
Palatine Park District
Riverdale Park District
Plainfield Township Park District
City of Jerseyville
"We are thrilled to announce the award of these six partners in Illinois, each of whom demonstrates an unwavering commitment to health as a priority in their community during a challenging time", said NFC Founder Mitch Menaged.
This statewide initiative is poised to deliver important outdoor wellness infrastructure to help communities stay active across the state of Illinois in a time of great need, due to significant impact on indoor gyms and fitness opportunities constrained by the pandemic.
NFC delivers a comprehensive fitness and wellness ecosystem built around their highly acclaimed digital Fitness Court. This award-winning initiative is now supporting more than one hundred cities across America including cities like Forest Park, Hoffman Estates, and Lincoln in Illinois.
Today more than ever, Fitness Courts® are becoming one of America's most valuable park resources because they bring people outdoors to engage in functional fitness on the world's best outdoor gym, featuring an exciting series of seven-minute workouts. Importantly, the program operates entirely outdoors in the fresh air, and is supportive of social distancing requirements. Community members enjoy the benefits of digital coaching on the free Fitness Court® app, which delivers fresh content to keep fitness training fun for adults of all ages and fitness levels. NFC trains local agency staff as part of the campaign, and these experts can build engagement and usage.
NFC and IPRA and IPRF will be supporting a second briefing window for interested communities in the fall of 2020 for the 2021 year, as 4 Grants remain available up to the maximum of 10 partnerships available in Illinois in this cycle. City leaders or park agency directors are encouraged to contact Heather Weishaar at heather@ilipra.org to request information about the program.