The Bull City Fit program, a shared-use partnership between Duke and Durham Parks and Recreation, has received the National Park Service Partnership of the Year Award. The award was presented at the 2017 annual National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Conference in New Orleans, September 26-28.
Bull City Fit is an integrated model of child obesity treatment, leveraging the strengths of Duke's high-quality health care and Durham's extensive parks system and recreation centers. Key support for the program is provided by the Duke Endowment, the Durham Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Pediatrics, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and the Duke Center for Childhood Obesity Research.
Preliminary data has shown high levels of engagement with racially-diverse and low-income families, and a recently published prospective trial has demonstrated improvements in child physical activity, fitness, and quality of life. Duke has two ongoing studies funded by the Duke Endowment and the American Heart Association to test implementation and outcomes effectiveness.
"The National Park Service has a proud 100-year history of protecting outdoor spaces for the public good. We are honored that they have selected Duke for their Partner of the Year Award, to ensure that the public good includes child health and wellbeing," says Sarah Armstrong, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Duke Healthy Lifestyles Program. "We will continue to work with the National Parks System to connect children to the outdoors rather than electronic devices, to develop in our youngest citizens a love of free play and a respect for nature, and to promote health while conserving these spaces for future generations."
About the awards
The 2017 NRPA National Awards recognize exceptional people and programs in the field of parks and recreation. The honorees are individuals, agencies and corporations that have made outstanding professional and volunteer contributions to parks, recreation and environmental conservation.