Campton Hills Among Creating Healthier Communities Grant Recipients

Kane County officials on Tuesday named the recipients of $30,600 in Creating Healthier Communities grants, which will target the issue of chronic diseases — one of the six major health risks facing Kane County residents identified in the Community Health Improvement Plan.

Two grants totaling $10,000 were made to the St. Charles Park District, which announced its receipt of the grants on Monday, but another locally relevant grant totals $5,000 for the village of Campton Hills.

According to a release issued by the Kane County Health Department, the village intends to use the money to evelop a plan for biking, walking and horse trails to provide connectivity to the Great Western Trail and two elementary schools.

Another grant totaling $5,600 was awarded to Kane County targeting rural Aurora, St. Charles and Dundee townships. The grant is to be used to identify needs and develop plans to assist the townships and the municipalities to work with the county to improve walkability and active-living opportunities in unincorporated areas.

The grant awards were made available to planning organizations through the Kane County Planning Cooperative. Applications were reviewed and approved by the Kane County Regional Plan Commission.

Funding was possible by the American Public Health Association. Kane County was one of six Health Departments chosen by the American Public Health Association from a competitive, nationwide field of more than 121 applicants. The$40,000 grant was given in recognition of the potential for the Kane County Planning Cooperative to help the county reach its goal to make Kane County’s residents the healthiest in Illinois.

“Part of our Quality of Kane initiative, the 2040 Plan focuses on strengthening the prized qualities of Kane County, the shared values of our residents and the health of our children. Continued, broad-based participation in the Plan's implementation goals will be critical to maintaining the quality of life that we have come to cherish,” said Kane County Board Chairwoman Karen McConnaughay.

Funding was available to municipalities in Kane County as well as other public and civic organizations, including, but not limited to, park districts, school districts, hospitals, schools, and economic development organizations.

“The Creating Healthier Communities Grants are a great start to the Kane County Planning Cooperative efforts to implement the 2040 Plan through use of the County’s combined planning resources,” said Regional Planning Commission Chair Glenn Morgenroth.  “In this climate of reduced resources, we anticipate accomplishing more together through the Planning Cooperative than the county, the municipalities and the other planning organizations can do alone.”

Other Creating Healthier Communities grants were awarded to:

• The Active Transportation Alliance, $5,000: Complete stations: Analysis of the seven Metra stations in Kane County to determine if the facilities are completely bicycle and pedestrian accessible
• Elgin Community Garden Network, $5,000: Raising Awareness of Elgin’s Community Gardens: Raise residents’ awareness of the presence of community garden’s within walking or biking distance from their homes through the use of social media.

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