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Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Impacts

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu




Fiscal Year:
Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025


Success StoryCommunity Efforts on Fitness Trail Expand



Community Efforts on Fitness Trail Expand

Author: Shad Baker

Planning Unit: Letcher County CES

Major Program: Building Healthy Coalitions

Plan of Work: Healthy People, Healthy Economy

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

It has oft been said that "the wheels of progress move slow", but that is certainly not the case concerning efforts to improve the health of a sedentary Kentucky. In Letcher County, the Extension Service has worked for several years on promoting a more active lifestyle through a partnership grant of the Centers for Disease Control and the University of Kentucky. The county was originally selected because it was one of the most obese in the state. With the grant, the community added fitness stations, benches, bike racks, and made other improvements to the trail to encourage users. Recent numbers show that the efforts have yielded results, as the county is no longer in the bottom-most category. Additionally, community leaders have not stopped their efforts at the cessation of the grant. They are now actively constructing an addition to the Tanglewood Bike & Fitness Trail in Whitesburg KY. The expansion adds 1.5 miles of new trail and connects downtown to the Whitesburg ARH hospital, Riverside Park, two residential areas and some cultural and business centers. The expansion is part of a larger project to expand the trail a total of 14 miles. Leaders have also written a follow-up grant for $5000 to improve signage. The signs will show users how far a walk (in terms of time) it would be to various destinations. All of these efforts are part of a critical piece towards a more active and vibrant Kentucky.






Stories by Shad Baker


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