3 NEISD schools receive monetary awards aimed at promoting fitness

Nonprofit group Community First grants awards to 7 schools total

SAN ANTONIO – Teachers and students at three schools in the North East Independent School District have received some good news that should make them happier and healthier. They have been declared winners of financial awards in a contest aimed at promoting physical fitness.

Members of the local nonprofit group Community First Health Plans carried super-sized checks for $2,500 each to Hidden Forest Elementary and Nimitz and Barbara Bush middle schools Friday.  All of the schools submitted applications for the awards.

“We had some really great submissions,” said Ada Ortega, with Community First. “We have everything from community gardens to exercise programs that are focused on certain sports."

Ortega said the contest was held in conjunction with the organization’s 20th anniversary.

“What better way to celebrate our 20th than to give back to our community through our schools? For us, it's very important to keep our community healthy,” she said. “We're all about keeping our children healthy and keeping their parents healthy."

The money awarded to Hidden Forest Elementary will be used to install a new disc golf course on campus.

Diane Trevino, the school’s physical education teacher, said having a disc golf course has been a dream of hers for years. The news that her school now will be able to make it a reality came as a big and welcome surprise.

"I didn't know that we were even going to get this. It's so exciting, and it's going to benefit everybody,” Trevino said. "We have so much land around our campus, and I thought the kids would really enjoy it.”

A group of parents and teachers together came up with the idea to submit the application on behalf of Hidden Forest. One PTA member, who identified himself as “Mops,” said the disc golf course will be a welcome addition to the school.

"This just makes a place where kids can come and hang out, even after school,” “Mops” said.

Hidden Forest is one of seven schools, in all, to receive the awards. Ortega said Community First will deliver checks to the remaining campuses, which are in several different local school districts, in the near future.


About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.