Local dignitaries, along with the entire student body, gathered together to dedicate the new walking track at Contentnea-Savannah K-8 School on Wednesday.
The track was built as part of an effort by Project D.I.G. (Discover, Investigate and Grow) to promote health and wellness among students.
Among those in attendance, were Lenoir County Commissioners Linda Sutton, Mac Daughtey, Craig Hill and Jackie Brown, along with Lenoir County School Superintendent Stephen Mazingo and State Rep. George Graham, Kinston.
Contentnea-Savannah Principal Frances Herring opened the dedication with a few remarks about the track.
“We are very proud of our waling track and want to make the community aware that the track is not just for us here at the school, but for them as well,” she said.
Mazingo then addressed the crowd and stated how proud he was of the school and its efforts.
“There many who think academics have to be the focus and the other stuff takes up too much time. This school has proven, that you can have a program that involves academics along with health and wellness,” he said.
Jeannie Holmes, Project D.I.G. coordinator, said the program was started at Contentnea-Savannah during the 2012-13 school year, to teach children about healthy living and fight childhood obesity. One aspect of Project D.I.G., is the walking track.
Holmes said she submitted the grant for the project on Feb. 9. In May she received news that the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and Region 10 Community Transformation Grant Project awarded the Lenoir County Public Schools and Contentnea-Savannah grants to fund the construction of our community walking track.
Holmes said construction took place over the summer, but due to rain, paving was delayed until Sept. 11. The track is open to the public and can be used 24 hours a day.
Herring said the walking track is already being integrated into the school’s regular curriculum.
“Our fourth graders, as part of their social studies program, are doing a walk from Murphy to Manteo. They are logging their miles in the classroom and walking every single day. When they stop at big cities like Raleigh and Winston-Salem they stop and study that city,” she said.
Mazingo said he sees the track as a huge plus.
“It means the school is reaching out and including the community in their wellness program,” he said. “This is a great place to live, but there aren’t really any facilities for walking safely. This provides something to the community that they would otherwise not have.”
Holmes said future plans for the track, which has three circles, is to put an outdoor volleyball court within one of the circles in the spring
“The track itself is just the anchor. Then, the other things that we can add will serve to enhance and improve what we already have,” she said.
Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.
Breakout Box
Hours of operation and rules for walking track
Open 24 hours a day
No skateboards, bikes or roller blades
No pets
Parent-attended strollers are welcome