Baptist Health supports parks to encourage recreation life balance
Baptist Health has rallied behind The Parklands of Floyds Fork project, with its nearly 4,000-acres of recreational opportunities.
LOUISVILLE – Baptist Health has rallied behind The Parklands of Floyds Fork project, with its nearly 4,000-acres of recreational opportunities.
The nonprofit 21st Century Parks Inc. kicked off a fundraiser May 17 to support the Parklands, which opened its nearly 600-acre Broad Run Park last month. The park is publicly supported, and doesn’t receive any tax dollars toward its $2 million in annual expenses.
Baptist Health’s support of the project dovetails with healthcare’s shift from “sick care” which treats conditions, to “well care” or prevention.
"And I think having parks and other recreational activities are absolutely critical to that," said Baptist Health CEO Steve Hanson in a video shown at the fundraising event.
The video showcases activities available at The Parklands, which is a network of parks along Floyds Fork Creek in Jefferson County. The parks are: Broad Run Park (the newest addition), Beckley Creek Park, Pope Lick Park, The Strand (opening this year), and Turkey Run Park. Activities offered at the various locations range from cycling and hiking to fishing, paddling the creek, playgrounds and picnic areas. Some locations offer sports fields. Learn more at theparklands.org
Parks are a “valuable resource” in promoting healthy living, said Mark Puckett, MD, a Baptist Health sports medicine specialist also featured in the video. “Investing in our bodies is a good way to yield good returns,” he said.