Mississippi Valley State University News October 15, 2014 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation Presents $250,000 Grant Award to MVSU On Thursday, October 9, representatives from the Blue Cross& Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation (BCBSMF) presented a $250,000 grant check to the Mississippi Valley State University Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, which will put funds toward a program encouraging health and fitness at MVSU and the surrounding community. "We are proud to partner with Mississippi Valley State University to build a multi-faceted health education and promotion campaign focused on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise," said Sheila Grogan, Executive Director of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. "Through the Valley in Motion initiative, recreational opportunities exist outside the classroom, bringing the campus and surrounding community together for physical fitness activities and nutrition education to encourage healthy lifestyles." Titled the Valley in Motion Initiative, the check was presented while the program hosted a health fair in the Social Science Building Auditorium. One of the program's goals is to provide activities aimed at keeping individuals fit and aware of their baseline health indices. Staff members collaborate with local schools and the surrounding communities - including the campus community - to provide health fairs, creative movement activities, and nutritional activities. At its health fair, students enrolled in certain health and physical education courses can collect BMI, weight, and blood pressure information. In addition to health fairs, the initiative also uses its program staff to collaborate with the Leflore County School District so that the district can provide BMI measurements, physical fitness programs, fitness tests, and healthy eating tips to the children enrolled in its physical education and health education classes. The program's health and wellness center ultimately aims to provide nutrition counseling and health screenings to the Valley community, the school district, and Itta Bena and Greenwood communities, serving as an initial meeting place for its outdoor recreation and exercise programs. Valley in Motion is already running regular karate and aerobics classes, and helped organize a breast cancer walk in partnership with the Financial Aid Department. The initiative also plans to build a walking trail around the large lake situated at MVSU's main entrance. Follow-up activities are an important part of Valley in Motion's plan to improve the health of MVSU's students and neighboring residents. The program conducts pre- and post-assessments of students in freshman health classes, and through its health screenings it evaluates and reevaluates participants, gathering biometric data to determine how lifestyle changes have impacted their health status. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.