The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors approved a $70,000 grant for Guthrie to help continue projects that promote physical activity, wellness, and overall community health. According to their website, “TSET Healthy Incentive Grants for Communities are designed to help cities and municipalities adopt and implement best and promising practices for tobacco-free city property, access to healthy and nutritious foods, and physical activity for the benefit of the whole community.” The City will be utilizing these funds to make park improvements, such as adding shade structures to the splash pad facilities in Mineral Wells and Banner Parks. The TSET Grant requires no local matching funds from the City of Guthrie.
The TSET Healthy Communities Incentive Grants are awarded based on the City adopting an ordinance that prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products, implementing a Worksite Wellness policy, community actions achieved by the community toward an environment of wellness, and population size of the city/municipality. The program provides criteria for three award classifications for each of the population categories: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The City met the criteria for all three categories, receiving the maximum funds available to our community.
City Manager, Leroy Alsup, stated, “The Guthrie community is fortunate to have a City Council with the leadership and vision to support projects that promote physical activity, wellness, and overall community health to enhance the quality of life for area residents.” Alsup, further recognized Kristin Elsenbeck, Guthrie Human Resource Director for her general administration of the City’s wellness efforts and drafting of the TSET Grant Application submitted to the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
Guthrie crews and City officials are continuously working to promote safe, outdoor activities. Most recently, the construction of Banner Park in 2018 and improvements to Mineral Wells Park in 2020. Both parks feature new splash pads that will benefit from shade structures.