[Durham INC] Durham & BCBSNC to Bring "Play Streets" to the Community

Wed Nov 14 10:04:38 EST 2012

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>  

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC <http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC>

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC <http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC>

For Immediate Release: November 14, 2012

Durham and BCBSNC to Bring "Play Streets" to the Community

Partnership for a Healthier America and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association to Support New Initiative to

Combat Childhood Obesity by Creating Spaces for Play

DURHAM, N.C. - Durham kids looking for new and safe places to play will
soon enjoy more opportunities to have fun while getting physically fit
...directly in the street.

The City and County of Durham and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North
Carolina (BCBSNC) have been selected to receive a $50,000 grant to
create Play Streets, which are roads closed to traffic and opened to the
community to encourage physical activity. The City of Durham will serve
as the fiscal agent for this initiative.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and Partnership for a
Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector and its
Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to end the childhood obesity
epidemic in America, are working with the City, County, and BCBSNC to
create new places for kids to play, particularly in neighborhoods that
lack open space. "By working with Play Streets and Durham, we're
bringing new opportunities for physical activity right to the door steps
of Durham families. Programs like these help support our goal of
reducing childhood obesity in North Carolina," said Kathy Higgins, vice
president of Corporate Affairs with BCBSNC.

The impact on activity rates from Play Streets is expected to be
significant. Pioneer programs have already shown that when given the
choice between participating in Play Streets or a sedentary activity,
the majority of children chose the more active option of Play Streets.
The benefits went beyond children's health, too. Local economies can
profit from the increased foot traffic that Play Streets brings to the
businesses in the area.

"Today in America, one in five kids doesn't have access to a playground
- that's millions of children who can't pick up a ball, run outside, or
have fun in a safe environment," said PHA President and CEO Lawrence A.
Soler. "We're thrilled that BCBSNC and Durham are proactively tackling
this challenge by creating new Play Streets. We can't wait to see the
initiative in action - to see kids running around these new spaces and
to hear sounds of traffic replaced by sounds of kids at play." 

According to Constance Stancil, director of the City's Neighborhood
Improvement Services Department, the grant will go a long way toward
helping the City provide access to open space and recreational
opportunities, a key component in the City's strategic plan goal for
thriving, livable neighborhoods. "Here in Durham, we are eager to find
ways to strengthen the foundation, enhance the value, and improve the
quality and sustainability of our neighborhoods. One important aspect of
thriving neighborhoods is their access to recreational facilities and
open spaces. This generous grant is going to go a long way toward making
that happen for many of our neighborhoods that lack open spaces for kids
and adults to use to get active," Stancil said. "A Play Street provides
a safe place for them to do just that, and it leverages our existing
street infrastructure since many of our inner-city neighborhoods lack
open spaces. It's inexpensive, accessible and, most importantly, fun for
the whole community and really enhances the quality of life in a
neighborhood."

According to Gayle Harris, director of the Durham County Department of
Public Health, this grant will ultimately help Durham City and County
Governments achieve their joint strategic initiative to increase the
percentage of Durham County adults and youth getting recommended
physical exercise. "The road to ending the childhood obesity epidemic
begins at home," said Harris. "For the past few years here in Durham,
we've literally blocked off streets so that our residents, young and
old, can play at home in the streets. With Play Streets funding, we can
continue to engage our residents through the 'Durham on the Move'
initiative and provide opportunities, especially for kids, to move more,
as we build a foundation for a more active and healthier Durham, now and
in the future."

Over the coming months, the City and County will work with BCBSNC,
BCBSA, and PHA to hold Play Streets in different areas of the community.
Details about the locations and future dates of the Play Streets events
will be posted online at http://www.AHealthierAmerica.org/PlayStreets
<http://www.AHealthierAmerica.org/PlayStreets> . 

For more information about this grant, contact Stancil at (919)
560-1647, ext. 34247 or by email at Constance.Stancil at DurhamNC.gov
<mailto:Constance.Stancil at DurhamNC.gov> .

About the City of Durham Neighborhood Improvement Services Department

The Neighborhood Improvement Services Department works to preserve and
improve quality of life conditions for Durham residents, and to
encourage active participation in neighborhood redevelopment and public
policy and decision making dialogue. The department's Community
Engagement staff provides outreach and education to Durham residents and
community organizations. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the
department helps ensure that Durham has thriving, livable neighborhoods
by providing the highest quality of services to engage and educate the
community, eradicate blight, ensure safer neighborhoods, and enhance
neighborhood revitalization. For more information, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/cb/nis/Pages/Home.aspx
<http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/cb/nis/Pages/Home.aspx> . 

About the Durham County Department of Public Health 

Since 1913, the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) has
worked throughout the Durham community to prevent disease, promote
health, and protect the environment. Guided by Durham County
Government's Strategic Plan, the department works to strengthen the
well-being of individuals and families through prevention, education,
and partnering with community resources. For more information about
DCoDPH, visit http://dconc.gov <http://dconc.gov> , connect with DCoDPH
on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/DurhamHealthNC> , or follow DCoDPH
on Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/DurhamHealthNC> .

About BCBSNC

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering
innovative health care products, services and information to more than
3.6 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of
other Blue Plans. For 78 years, the company has served its customers by
offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the
people of North Carolina through support of community organizations,
programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of North Carolina was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by
Ethisphere Institute in 2012. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North
Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association. Visit BCBSNC online at http://bcbsnc.com
<http://bcbsnc.com> . 

About Partnership for a Healthier America

Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the
private sector to ensure the health of our nation's youth by solving the
childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with -
but independent from - First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort.
PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the
nation's most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings
together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful
commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most
importantly, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by
working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on
the progress its partners are making. For more information about PHA,
please visit http://www.AHealthierAmerica.org
<http://www.AHealthierAmerica.org>  and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews
<https://twitter.com/PHAnews> . 

About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) is a national
federation of 38 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue
Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare
coverage for 100 million members - one in three Americans. For more
information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit 
http://bcbs.com <http://bcbs.com> , connect with BCBSA on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/BCBSAssociation> , check out BCBSA videos on 
YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/bluecrossblueshield>  or follow BCBSA on
Twitter <http://twitter.com/BCBSAssociation>  for up-to-date
information.

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