Deer Valley receives $10,000 grant

Deer Valley Elementary School is taking another step toward a healthier student body.

The school received a $10,000 grant from BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama, which will go toward improvements in facilities and equipment.

Tricia Neura, assistant director of Hoover City Schools’ Child Nutrition Program, said the grant will mainly fund a built environment, including improving the schools track. While most of the grant money will focus on physical activity, Deer Valley will also supplement those changes through its own nutrition initiatives.

“The nutritional aspect of it, we already have our own initiatives, and we can provide that without additional funds,” Neura said.

Providing a comprehensive plan in their application probably helped the school receive the grant, Neura said.

Jeff Adams, community relations manager for BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama, presented Principal Wayne Richardson with the check and thanked him for the school’s efforts.

“I thank you for what you do for our kids with exercise and nutrition,” Adams said.

The grant will also be used for the purchase of wrist tracking devices for physical education classes as well as more stability balls, which have been shown to promote concentration, posture and focus.

Now that the check is in hand, Neura said they will provide Director of Operations Jeff Battles with the plan for track improvements. Their hope is to expand the track using in-house labor, which will help keep costs down. If the project costs more than the grant provides for, Neura said there are other grants to help with funding.