BY DEBBIE PAGE
The Get Fit Iredell (GFI) coalition is officially starting back up this spring, with an updated program and new equipment and activities being planned to get the community engaged, healthy, and moving.
Anyone interested in joining the committee or helping with planning, outreach, or events, can send an email to Dinikia Savage at the Iredell County Health Department at dinikia.savage@iredellcountync.gov.
Savage announced GFI received a $2,200 community connection grant to help fund activities this year.
Get Fit Iredell began in 2016, after a Health Department community needs assessment revealed the county’s mortality data. The top seven causes of death for Iredell County residents were attributed to chronic, preventable diseases caused by unhealthy fitness and diet choices.
The group targeted this data as a leverage point to get more people active and engaged in healthy activities to change too many negative health outcomes in the county.
Focusing on fitness, the coalition’s goal was to improve the percentage of adults who are involved in regular physical activity in Iredell County. The hope was that people will get out, get active, try something new, and then incorporate it in their lives.
The Get Fit Iredell coalition disbanded during the COVID shutdown after years of providing fun activities that promoted exercise, movement, and healthy habits, including kickball and dodgeball tournaments, community yoga, dance parties, a Kids’ Cookoff healthy cooking version of the Food Network’s “Chopped,” a family fun obstacle course at Stumpy Creek Park, and a Lake Norman State Park family fun day featuring free guided hikes, yoga, martial arts, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boats.
The new coalition had its first meeting on Wednesday morning to get things rolling again with both returning and new representatives joining in person and online.
To kick off the reboot, Get Fit Iredell is hosting an Adult Kickball Day on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McClure Park (1230 Museum Road in Statesville). This free event will provide an afternoon of fun, friendly kickball competition while players build community connections.
Registration is required by Monday, April 13. Limited team spots are going quickly, so register soon at tinyurl.com/GetFitICKickballDay. Completed forms can be emailed to Savage or delivered in person to Savage at the Health Department (318 Turnersburg Hwy in Statesville).
Teams of 8 to 10 players of all fitness levels (age 18+) are welcome to form teams. All players must sign the team liability waiver to play.