Montgomery County is a Hearts N' Parks Community
Hearts N' Parks is a national, community-based program supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). It is designed to help park and recreation agencies encourage heart-healthy lifestyles in their communities.
Hearts N' Parks was piloted during the summer of 1999 in 33 sites in 12 North Carolina communities involving more than 2,000 participants. An evaluation showed that participants retained information about heart-healthy behaviors and intended to eat healthier. In addition, children reported learning new physical activities and improving their performance in others; seniors reported feeling healthier and experiencing less pain in their daily lives by the end of the program.
Hearts N' Parks was then expanded to 50 new Magnet Center sites in 11 states throughout the country in the fall of 2001, which include Montgomery County Department of Recreation. At that time the Magnet Center sites made a three year commitment to implementing heart healthy activities that emphasize the 5 Ps of Hearts N' Parks, i.e., People, Programs, Partners, Public Visibility, and Performance Measures.
At the end of those three years, with the intent to extend the success of Hearts N’ Parks, NHLBI initiated an additional 3 year collaboration with National Recreation and Park Association to offer the We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) public education outreach program, which provides activities and programs encouraging improved nutritional choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time in youth ages 8-13.
Because of this history and the recognition achieved in the initial Hearts N’ Parks program, Montgomery County Recreation Department chooses to continue it’s health and wellness programming under the identifiable title of Hearts N’ Parks. | 
Seniors
