Trails and healthy lifestyles get funding from Blue Cross Foundation

Published Aug 10, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Aug 10, 2012)

Via its Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana grant program, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is giving $1 million to the Capital Area Pathways Project and Mobile Playground for the creation of four miles of bike and pedestrian pathways between Siegen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard. The foundation is also granting Fresh Beginnings $1 million to provide food and produce for three impoverished areas of north Baton Rouge, in an effort to help residents adopt healthier lifestyles and combat obesity. Fresh Beginnings is matching the grant with nearly $1.27 million, while the Capital Area Pathways Project and Mobile Playground is providing a $1.2 million match, Blue Cross Foundation says, bringing the total investment to approximately $4.5 million. The bike and pedestrian path is also part of FuturEBR, the city's land use and development master plan. The local grants are a part of $10.2 million the foundation is giving to 12 programs statewide, sparking $16.8 million in matching funds, for a total of $27 million to reduce obesity and other health problems in Louisiana. The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is working with Blue Cross Foundation to administer the grants and will be tracking their projects to measure their effectiveness. More information on all the grant programs can be found here.