CHESTER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation’s Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM program today announced a grant of $267,845 to the Foundation for Community Partnerships to support its Partnering for Youth Cardio-Fit Project. This is the third consecutive year in which the Foundation for Community Partnerships has received a grant from the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, totaling $713,997.
The Partnering for Youth Cardio-Fit Project is targeted toward rural middle and elementary school children and their families. Based on the science supporting cardiovascular health, program participants learn the value of a personal, lifelong commitment to fitness and nutrition via the Partnering for Youth After School Program. The program works to increase students’ physical activity and knowledge of cardiovascular health and provides opportunities to monitor and sustain personal well-being through intense training activities in fitness, nutrition and communications.
“The Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM grant from AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation has had a dramatic impact on this small, mostly rural community,” said Kim Umberger, Partnering for Youth program director. “Families who were admittedly ‘not athletic’ and hooked on fried and starchy foods have begun to embrace the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and consider the long-term consequences of a high-fat diet. This change is taking place organically, as the youngest members of the household come home from school with positive attitudes about fruits and vegetables and a desire to take their parents out for a walk.”
Building upon the success of previous funding from the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, 94 percent of the 498 students surveyed reported improved knowledge of fitness and nutrition as a result of program participation. In addition, multiple PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) results were collected for 774 students throughout the year. More than three quarters of middle school youth maintained or improved their PACER performance.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and organizations like Foundation for Community Partnerships are creating innovative programs to help prevent and decrease the associated risks with this devastating disease,” said James W. Blasetto, M.D., MPH, FACC, chairman of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. “We are grateful to the Foundation for Community Partnerships for its commitment to improving heart health in their community.”
The Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM program annually awards grants of $150,000 or more to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving cardiovascular health in local communities. This year, the program awarded nearly $3.7 million in grants to 19 organizations. More than $14 million in grants have been awarded through the program since its inception in 2010.
Organizations can learn more and apply online for a Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM grant at www.astrazeneca-us.com/foundation. Applications must be submitted online no later than 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 27, 2014.
About Foundation for Community Partnerships
The Foundation for Community Partnerships, a philanthropic community foundation serving the Chesapeake Bay area, provides innovative leadership and support for exemplary programs like Partnering for Youth. Founded in 1995, the Partnering for Youth After School Program provides engaging academic, recreational and enrichment activities to promote the development of values, skills and relationships in Queen Anne’s County youth. For more information, contact Partnering for Youth at 410-758-4584, the Foundation for Community Partnerships at 443-249-0606 or www.creatinglegacies.org.
About AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation
Established in 1993, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation is a Delaware not-for-profit corporation and a 501(c)(3) entity organized for charitable purposes, including to promote public awareness of healthcare issues, to promote public education of medical knowledge, and to support or contribute to charitable and qualified exempt organizations consistent with its charitable purpose. Connections for Cardiovascular HealthSM was launched in 2010 through a charitable contribution of $25 million from AstraZeneca.
