Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Celebrates New Great Strides Program Grant Recipients

Forbes Breaking News

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) along with other state and local officials spoke about the Great Strides Program and praised its impact on local communities.

Transcript

00:00All right, good morning everyone. It's great to be here at the Division of Arkansas Heritage,

00:08Division of the Department of Arkansas Parks, Heritage and Tourism. So thank you for being

00:12here today. It's a great day. Any day that we have the opportunity to share in the outdoor

00:18recreation experience across our state, share the resources that our department's been granted

00:25to or with to share across our state is a great day. So thank you for being here. Today's event is

00:33to celebrate the Great Strides program, which is a partnership between the Arkansas Department of

00:38Parks, Heritage and Tourism and the Department of Health. So we're excited to be here today.

00:43These grants exemplify our shared commitment to enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities

00:51all across Arkansas. And so through this program, we're investing in the development and expansion

00:58of our network of trails across our state, preserving the natural beauty and making our

01:04diverse landscapes more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. So across our state, from scenic

01:11greenways, these projects not only encourage people to explore the outdoors, but they also

01:18promote a healthier, active lifestyle for our residents and our visitors. Working with the

01:25Department of Health, we can leverage each other's specialized knowledge and skills, leading to better

01:30results that benefit the state of Arkansas. This work aligns perfectly with the work of Governor

01:37Sanders' Natural State Initiative. When Governor Sanders created the Natural State Initiative, which is

01:43being led by the first gentleman Brian Sanders, it was a bold vision to elevate Arkansas's outdoor economy

01:50and position our state as a leader in outdoor recreation. We continue to see the initiative work

01:56well. And part of the goals of the Natural State Initiative was to break down silos between departments.

02:02And this is an example of that. We've been fortunate to work with the Department of Commerce, Arkansas Game and Fish

02:09Commission, the Department of Health, all of these opportunities for the benefit of our state.

02:17And as part of that vision, programs like Great Strides are helping turn recommendations into reality

02:24by funding projects that get our Kansans outdoor and active. And that's really what we're trying to do,

02:31is not just have a group that works together and talks about things, but really sees the opportunity

02:37of how our state, how our state agencies can work together to follow through. When we support outdoor recreation,

02:44we're doing more than improving parks and pathways. We're investing in public health, economic growth,

02:51and quality of life. I often say that the Department of Arkansas Heritage is in the business of quality

02:58of life in Arkansas. I feel like I have one of the greatest jobs in the state of Arkansas, and the opportunity

03:03of how we preserve and protect and interpret the natural, historical, and cultural resources of our

03:09state, but also provide those opportunities for Arkansans to enjoy those as well. Our Office of Outdoor

03:15Recreation team, as well as the community leaders, planners, and partners who are making these projects

03:22possible, thank you. Your dedication to helping Arkansans take great strides towards a brighter,

03:28healthier future. Now please join me in welcoming Secretary Renee Mallory with the Arkansas Department

03:35of Health. Good morning. The Arkansas Department of Health is thrilled to once again partner with the

03:46Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism to grant awards in communities around our state and

03:52enable accessibility for outdoor activities. Designated outdoor trails and walking paths leads to healthier

04:00communities. Since its establishment in 2001 from the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, this grant program

04:07has allowed funding to go directly to communities to design health and fitness trails for everyone.

04:15This includes accessible parking spaces and trails compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

04:21Additionally, we incorporate our Be Well Arkansas signage to encourage tobacco cessation and healthy

04:27interventions in these public spaces. Outdoor trails can improve our physical, mental, social, and wellness

04:35health. This well-being allows us to keep improving and making choices for a healthier lifestyle for

04:41ourselves, our families, and our communities. Our goal is for these grant awards to continue to positively

04:48impact the health of Arkansas communities. Some benefits of outdoor exercise trails are it encourages exercise

04:55for all fitness levels. It increases energy, boosts moods, and restores attention. It reduces stress and calms

05:03anxiety. It improves immunity, lowers cholesterol levels, and protects against chronic disease like heart

05:09disease, diabetes, and obesity. Congratulations to all these well-deserved projects awarded this year. We

05:17encourage all of our communities to promote more outdoor fitness and exercise access through this

05:23beneficial grant program. Okay, so now to the really good stuff. Please join me in welcoming the first

05:31woman to serve as governor of our great state, the youngest governor in the country, and the 47th governor of

05:40Arkansas. And I will add the best boss ever, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

05:50Clearly she has to say really nice things, but this is definitely not the good part of today. The good part of

05:57today is that we have four amazing communities here in the state that are going to get just a little bit better.

06:03And one of the things that I love so much about what this program does is the way that it invests in some

06:11of the communities around our state, that we want to make sure that they have those same quality of life

06:19components that some of the bigger cities that you may see. The trails here in Little Rock and Bentonville,

06:26but we want every single person in the state to have access to get outside, get moving, and have a

06:33healthier lifestyle. And that's what I love about this program and what it will represent in each of

06:39these communities. I'm proud of the fact that in a little over a year, this Great Strides program had

06:47kind of stopped operating. And through the natural state initiative, this was one of the recommendations

06:54that my husband and the team put forward and said, we have money coming into this through the tobacco

07:00settlement fund, but we don't have money going out. We need to revive this program and start investing in

07:05some of these communities again. And so in the last year and a half, we will have recognized and awarded a

07:13little over a million dollars to 11 towns here in the state of Arkansas, which will get people outside,

07:20hopefully a love and appreciation for all things in the natural state. And one of the things that I

07:27think makes this so special and unique is that it is accessible to everyone. We want any person in the

07:34state, whatever skill level and whatever challenges you may have, have the opportunity to get outside and

07:41enjoy the great outdoors. My husband and I have very different skill levels. He can run up and down a

07:48mountain many times over, fly down it on a bike. I'm much more in line with the announcements that we're

07:57making today on the kind of flat paved walking trails are a little bit more my speed. And so another

08:04reason I love this program is that it's something that every single person can take part in and enjoy.

08:11And that's one of the things that makes it so unique. Thankful for the incredible leadership

08:15that we have and the great partnership. This is how government is supposed to work is to bring all

08:22of our partners together from multiple different agencies, as well as our city, our county officials.

08:29This is everybody coming together and really seeing the success of a program. And Secretary Mallory,

08:35Secretary Shea Lewis and Catherine Andrews do such a great job of partnering together and just getting

08:41the job done. And I'm thankful for their leadership and their work to make not just this program,

08:47but so many other great things that take place across our state happen every day, many of which

08:52they never get recognition for. So thank you for all the great work you're doing. And with that,

08:57I say we give out some money and get to work. Thank you to the communities because while we do the easy

09:05part of handing out the the checks, you're the ones that actually have to put it into practice

09:11and see these projects come to fruition. And so thank you for your work, your dedication,

09:17and we look forward to visiting your communities and seeing the great projects that come from today.

09:22So thanks for being here. And thank you again to the team who's helped make it happen.

09:44Again, congratulations to all awardees. When I call your name, please line up on the right side and

09:49be prepared to get your check and take a picture with with these lovely representatives here. City of Denning.

10:05The City of Denning was awarded $73,897.50 and they will provide the citizens a pathway

10:12by creating a walking trail around Denning Town Park.

10:19The City of Keough.

10:31The City of Keough was awarded $114,192 and they will create a walking trail in downtown Keough City Park.

10:38City of Ozan.

10:55The City of Ozan was awarded $121,200 and they will create a much needed concrete ADA accessible walking trail

11:02and newly created Ozan Town Park.

11:12Up.

11:13Go Meyers.

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11:49Lastly, the City of Sulphur Springs.

12:06The City was awarded $159,550 to Addict Walking Trail at Sulphur Springs City Park.

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