The city of Wheeling’s Department of Parks & Recreation is providing free fruits and vegetables to patrons of the City’s pools for the remainder of the season.
Director Jesse Mestrovic explained that people who would like a serving of fruits and vegetables can make a request at the respective concession stands and will receive a fruit/vegetable cup at no charge.
“This partnership with Active Southern West Virginia is in conjunction with the West Virginia Healthy People, Healthy Places “Silver Award” that we received this year,” he said. “It is phenomenal how this award has opened up avenues, resources and connections for the betterment of our community’s health.”
Active Southern West Virginia is working in partnership with the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease and West Virginia Healthy People, Healthy Places to provide funding to community feeding programs to support fruit and vegetable consumption and safe physical activity.
As the fruit and vegetable cups are handed out, recipients will also receive physical activity handouts with the food.
“A healthy lifestyle includes exercise and we want to encourage physical activity and provide some guidance on such where we can and this is a great opportunity to do just that,” he said.
Mestrovic noted the fruits and vegetables are purchased locally at Jebbia’s Market.
As the summer winds down, City pools will be open noon to 5 p.m. The last day of operation for Bridge Park pool on Wheeling Island will be Sunday, Aug. 16. The Garden Park pool in Warwood will remain open through Monday, Aug. 31.
