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Fitness trail a hit at school
Bruce Matlock photo
Trevor Lloyd (wearing red) and Gabriel Ellis pause for some push-ups Friday on the school's new fitness trail.
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Published: November 22, 2008
Celeste Henkel Elementary School students couldn't wait to hit the trail.
As soon as the ribbon was cut Friday for the school's new fitness trail, they immediately ran toward the equipment, leaving little footprints in the rock dust.
The school was awarded a $22,000 grant from Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation to fund the construction of the half-mile walking and fitness trail.
Statesville Lowe's Human Resources Manager J.R. Petty told the students Lowe's is proud to donate the money because "we feel strongly exercise is important to grow up big and strong."
It's imperative to reach kids this age to get them to be physically active so they won't become couch potatoes, he said.
The school's maintenance personnel and volunteers have been working on the trail since April.
The trail is open to all students and will be accessible to the community.
Third-grader Eli Martin had the honor of cutting the big red ribbon, an act that officially opened the trail.
Fifth-graders Hannah Auton and Brianna Phillips were among the first students to test out the new trail. "It's so awesome and goes around the woods," Hannah said.
"It's very great for us to have this," she added. "For schools who don't have this, they're not lucky."
Brianna said it's going to help them pass the fifth grade.
Principal Steven Sheets said students will be able to use the fitness trail during physical education, recess and afterschool.
Iredell-Statesville Schools has Fitness Gram and this is one way to improve cardiovascular health of the students, he said.
This is the first partnership between the home improvement company and the school and Sheets is excited about it.
"I want to thank Lowe's for the opportunity to do this and for providing opportunities for this part of the county," he said.
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