Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Honors Pascagoula as a Healthy Hometown

The City of Pascagoula is celebrating its status as a Healthy Hometown for 2014, awarded by the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. Sheila Grogan, Executive Director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, presented a $25,000 check to the Honorable Harry J. (Jim) Blevins, mayor of Pascagoula, at the Aaron Jones Interactive Center on Saturday, November 15th. The $25,000 grant will provide funding to further enhance the city’s wellness initiatives.

"We are honored to have been chosen as a 2014 Healthy Hometown," said Pascagoula Mayor Jim Blevins. "Our residents’ health and overall well-being is our top priority, and we will remain deeply committed to continuous improvement in this area. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for this opportunity."

Pascagoula proudly became one of the first Mississippi municipalities to adopt a Complete Streets policy to ensure roadways are designed for the safety of walkers, runners and cyclists. The policy is making a difference in the community as heavily traveled Beach Boulevard along the Beachfront Promenade has seen a significant increase in the number of pedestrians and exercise enthusiast.

Local businesses appreciate the value of healthy employees and many provide a variety of worksite wellness programs. In alignment with the city’s no smoking ordinance, Huntington Ingalls Industries offers a free tobacco cessation program to its more than 10,000 employees. Chevron Pascagoula Refinery provides an onsite medical clinic and fitness center, and recently implemented “Fitness for Duty,” a program designed to enhance worker health and wellness.

Weekend fun is never far away as the Pascagoula School District sponsors kid-themed “Healthy, Wealthy Super Saturdays” featuring interactive fitness activities and hands-on learning for parents and children. These popular family events are free and open to the public as they focus on the health and well-being of children while challenging their motor skills, balance, and overall fitness levels. With themes ranging from “sailing the high seas” to “animals of the wetlands” to the “wide world of sports,” children have fun while learning about healthy nutrition, how smoking affects the lungs, and the importance of physical activity.

Through its Healthy Hometown Pascagoula webpage on the city’s website, the community can access information about farmers’ markets, healthy recipes, fitness and recreation groups and local health clubs and fitness centers.

As a Healthy Hometown for 2014, the City of Pascagoula plans to use the $25,000 grant award to enhance the city’s bike trails and provide kayaking and canoeing opportunities at the River Blueway recreational development.

“Pascagoula has a wide variety of physical activity opportunities available to residents,” said Sheila Grogan, Executive Director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. “Outdoor active lifestyles are prominent in the city and we look forward to a continued partnership as local health initiatives continue to grow.”

The Healthy Hometown Awards were established in 2010 to reward municipalities taking the initaitive to improve the health and lives of citizens. Other honorees in the 2014 Healthy Hometown Awards include the City of Moss Point (5,001-14,999 residents) and the Town of Walnut (5,000 or fewer residents). Each of these municipalities received $25,000. The City of Brookhaven was named “Mississippi’s Healthiest Hometown” and received $50,000 to further its wellness efforts. Healthy Hometown applications are evaluated by a panel of known health and wellness champions from around the country.

Judges for the 2014 Healthy Hometown program were: Mike Kuczala, an acclaimed keynote speaker, bestselling author and innovative teacher and trainer, who coauthored The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement; Linda Langston, Supervisor of Linn County, Iowa and President of the National Association of Counties, who implemented and led the “Live Healthy Iowa” wellness challenge; Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, a board certified family physician and Director of the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, who established the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Leadership Team and was appointed by the governor to the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation provides targeted funding throughout the state of Mississippi, focusing on interests related to health programs for schools, colleges and universities, and communities. You can learn more at www.healthiermississippi.org.