Wilkes-Barre, PA
about
The Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership (WVWT) helps people use trails to pursue healthier lifestyles. With local trail development organizations and a diverse community partnership, northeast Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley represents a unique place for an active living project. A proposed regional trail network will involve more than 100 miles of trails and link communities up and down the Susquehanna River with a hub in Wilkes-Barre, making this project a model for promoting regional trails connectivity and active living.
WVWT has focused its efforts on educating local elected officials, physicians, and transportation planners about the benefits of active living. To this end, the partnership sponsored an Active Communities Environments conference and presented a physical activity prescription program at physician education sessions at three hospitals. An active living web site with regional trail information and an updated list of trail walks and events serve as the project's primary promotional activities.
In the future, residents in the Valley will find safe, accessible and interesting opportunities for physical activity that are close to their homes and places of business. Every Valley community will be an active place with routes for people to walk and bike to school, work, shop, and reconnect with their neighbors.
The Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership is comprised of 25 diverse organizations including Maternal and Family Health Services, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Luzerne County Parks Department, Blue Cross of Northeast PA, Arthritis Foundation, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Steps to a Healthier PA-Luzerne County, the Joint Urban Studies Center, and others.
our story
Before he became the Director of Parks and Recreation for Luzerne County, Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails partner Andy Gegaris was employed as the Associate Director of Preventive Health Services for the City of Wilkes- Barre Health Department. At the health department, he developed initiatives to encourage and promote healthy lifestyle choices regarding injury prevention, tobacco prevention/ cessation, physical activity, and nutrition. Andy sees some aspects of his former job carrying into his current position. For example, one of his goals within the Parks and Recreation Department is to provide a more supportive environment for people trying to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.
Luzerne County is blessed with an abundance of existing and planned outdoor recreation amenities that need to be developed, promoted and maintained. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to positively impact the health status and overall quality of life for the entire Luzerne County population by providing high-quality, affordable and accessible facilities and programs. Andy's dual interest in health and parks is well aligned with the core values of the partnership. The Wyoming Valley has many trails and parks, but it is also home to a population in need of more physical activity. Connecting citizens in Luzerne County to the trails is the project's central objective.
opportunities
The Wyoming Valley is a 30-mile region in northeastern Pennsylvania consisting of 36 cities, boroughs, and townships along the Susquehanna River. The area has an industrial coal-mining past and is surrounded by scenic ridges.
The Wyoming Valley has Pennsylvania's most concentrated elderly population, with the second oldest population of senior citizens in the United States. One in four residents is moderately or severely overweight, and 36% of adults in Northeastern Pennsylvania do not exercise. The lack of knowledge about and access to physical activity programs and facilities is acute. Furthermore, a lack of mass transit and sidewalk improvements that could connect to trails are significant obstacles to less mobile residents, such as the poor, the young, and the elderly. While healthcare providers have increased their physical activity education programs, the lack of places to walk and bicycle safely and conveniently is an implementation barrier for these programs.
In the future, the WVWT Partnership will continue to connect communities to trails through a monthly listing of local trail walks, bikes, and the National Trails Day event. The partnership will also help redefine trails and support alternative trails, such as on-sidewalk or campus-style urban trails, by collecting and distributing trail information. They will continue to promote active living through trails by working with school health councils and chronic disease professionals and by distributing a resource guide, which includes a physician prescription form, to local places to be physically active. finally, WVWT will work with partners to create events and messages that emphasize fun opportunities for, and benefits of, physical activity.
accomplishments
In Action
