The City of Soldotna was eligible for and received a grant allocation for $78,565 from the second round of Healthy & Equitable Communities grant funding through the Alaska Department of Health.
The funding under this program helps support the creation and sustaining of healthy and equitable communities by increasing or improving access to facilities and community spaces that promote health and physical activity.
Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen laid-out the use of the funds for the Soldotna Parks and Recreation.
“The city had previously received the first installment of this grant funding program. It’s federal funding that came through the state of Alaska Department of Health and it came through the COVID era; but it’s specific to trying to achieve and support healthy outcomes in communities.
The first round of funding we received was just under 52,000 and we used that for our local recreation programs. So that was the trailer, the additional ice skates, the additional skating aids and the kind of wrapping and branding of that trailer; so that we have a really deployable “parks in a box”, that can be rented out or moved around to different facilities.”
These funds are intended for the purpose of making the Parks and Recreation facilities and programming more accessible to all members of the community.
Queen explained the use of the approved funding.
“It’s a formula. It’s calculated per community and the city is eligible for $78,565 this round of funding.
Laura Reiner, the Assistant to the City Manager, coordinated with our Parks Department and the recommendation is to use these funds to further expand that program by getting additional summer recreation items that can be put in the trailer;, as well as, additional ice skates that can be used both at the Sports Center and off-site such as: Arc Lake and Soldotna Creek Park; as well as, the purchase of adaptive skating equipment for skaters with disabilities or mobility challenges.
She (Reiner) has pre-vetted these proposed uses with the granting agency and they are all deemed eligible.”
The Soldotna Parks and Recreation Department stated it will improve access to year-round recreational programming and facilities. With this funding, the community will have more opportunities to be active and enjoy outdoor activities.