Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Departments has been awarded a BlueCross Healthy Place project worth approximately $750k. The “Family Fun” space will be located at Barfield Crescent Park and will include playgrounds and adult fitness equipment. Construction is scheduled for next year.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation plans to create 10 new BlueCross Healthy Places across the state in 2021. In celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary, the foundation is investing $750,000 in each space, bringing the statewide total to $7.5 million.
The 10 project sites are spread across communities large and small in each of the state’s three Grand Divisions.
The 2021 BlueCross Healthy Place sites and project packages include:
• Alamo: Crockett County High School – Community Hub
• Baxter: Baxter Seminary Park – Thrive and Play
• Chattanooga: St. Elmo Park – Fitness and Fun
• Farragut: Town Hall Park – Thrive and Play
• Johnson City: Kiwanis Park – Community Hub
• Memphis: Foote Park – Family Fun
• Murfreesboro: Barfield Crescent Park – Family Fun
• Paris: Eiffel Tower Park – Family Fun
• Shelbyville: H.V. Griffin Park – Family Fun
• Woodlawn (Clarksville): Woodlawn Park – Community Hub
BlueCross Healthy Places strengthen communities across Tennessee by providing neighbors with spaces for connection and healthy activity. Grant applicants were invited to choose from six project packages based on the needs of their communities:
• Thrive and Play – an inclusive, multi-generational space
• Community Hub – a pavilion surrounded by fitness and play elements
• Family Fun – a family space with playgrounds and adult fitness equipment
• Elite Fitness – a community fitness space with competitive elements like a timed 40- yard dash
• Tri-Star Activity – a space combining a community pavilion and picnic tables with play pods and fitness stations • Fitness and Fun – a space featuring play areas and fitness elements, including a fitness station and timed challenge course
“Our mission at BlueCross is serving our neighbors, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 75th anniversary than by giving Tennesseans more spaces to connect with one another and pursue healthy activities together,” said Roy Vaughn, executive director of the BlueCross Foundation. “We look forward to partnering with each of these communities to enhance and revitalize these spaces, providing new amenities for all residents to enjoy.”
Construction on the projects is scheduled to begin next year and will be completed by the foundation’s build partner, Chattanooga-based PlayCore. BlueCross Healthy Places are currently underway in Chattanooga, Nashville and Knoxville. Four are open in Memphis, Huntland, Kingsport and at Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tenn. With the addition of the 10 new projects for 2021, the BlueCross Foundation has invested $31.7 million in community spaces across the state.
The BlueCross Foundation will accept proposals for 2022 funding during the month of August 2021. For additional information about the BlueCross Healthy Place Program, see BlueCrossHealthyPlaces.com.
