In celebration of Healthy Heart Week, a ribbon cutting will be held for the City of La Mesa’s newest outdoor fitness plaza on Feb. 14 at 12:15 p.m. at La Mesita Park, 8855 Dallas Street.
Funding for the equipment was made possible through a $40,000 Age-Friendly Communities Grant provided by the San Diego Foundation, in addition to a $10,000 Greenfields Outdoor Fitness Grant in celebration of the California Park and Recreation Society’s 75th Anniversary.
“This equipment will provide inclusive fitness opportunities to those with disabilities, engage our older adult population, facilitate training for all fitness levels, activate an unused area in the park, and create exercise activities for parents while children are at the playground” said Sue Richardson, La Mesa’s community services director.
In partnership with Del Mar Healthcare Inc., the San Diego Foundation launched the Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) Program in 2015 to address the region’s shifting demography and create more livable environments for people of all ages. The AFC program works directly with stakeholders and local governments to promote programs and systems-level changes that create more livable environments for people of all ages.
The World Health Organization has a Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, with AARP as the national affiliate.
In 2018, the City of La Mesa was named an Age-Friendly City and through the Livable La Mesa project, also funded by the San Diego Foundation, has adopted a community informed Age-Friendly Action Plan that targets six areas of community life that influence the health and quality of life of older people. Two of the areas addressed in this project include access to safe parks, outdoor spaces and other public facilities, along with providing programs that promote active aging, physical exercise and healthy habits.
This is the second Age-Friendly Community Grant La Mesa has received from the San Diego Foundation. The first, in the amount of $50,000 to the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation in 2020, funded the creation of the Community Garden at MacArthur Park.
Photo credit: Pixabay.com
