Recipients of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant will be announced on Friday, June 30th.

Live Well Geary County applied for the $500,000 grant on behalf of the entire community; if awarded, the money will be given over a three year period.

Susie Bilderback, Live Well Geary County, said that the first $100,000 will go directly to the Live Well group.

“There is seven pathways involving different areas – education/the school district, the hospital, food retail, healthcare, restaurants, worksite wellness, community policy and community well-being – so we’re going to be hitting all of those different areas with funding,” said Bilderback. “It’s pretty prescribed, it’s not like whatever you want to do you get to use this money for by any means; you have to do what [they] would like you to do and then you have an opportunity to get the rest of the funds.”

Sixteen communities across Kansas were awarded site visits. Junction City/Geary County hosted the grant committee for a site visit last month where various community members spoke in support of Live Well Geary County.

“Everyone showed up that day to really give the support of Live Well Geary County and show that we’re all here for one reason and that’s to make this community a healthier place,” said Nikki Davis, Geary Community Hospital Marketing Director. “The three pillars that are going to be addressed in this grant are smoking cessation, nutrition, and exercise; Geary County is ranked one of the most obese and food insecurity in the state with the highest smoking rate.”

Live Well Geary County previously applied for the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Grant and received a site visit but was not awarded.

The grant is funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas in order “to provide community coalitions with the tools and resources needed to remove barriers and engage their communities in ways that enable healthy eating and tobacco-free, active living to become a way of life.”