Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service Child Health and wellness specialist Alice Kirk will be presented with a Champion 2014 Texas Health Award at a ceremony on September 9 in Austin. (Photo by Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service)
AUSTIN - Alice Kirk, a specialist in children's health and well-being with the Cooperative Extension Service of the Texas A & M in College Station, has been selected to receive a prize of 2014 Champion of Health of Texas.
The award is presented by the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the University of Texas School of Public Health and Live Smart Texas Coalition. Kirk will be delivered at the ceremony of Champions 2014 Texas Health September 9 instead of the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin.
After event coordinators, the price in conjunction with Texas Obesity Awareness Week will be given during the 80th legislative session of 2313 Bill founded in 2007.
As part of the week obesity national champion Texas Health is awarded to an individual and an organization in reducing stress and / or awareness of the epidemic of shows "exemplary performance obesity in Texas. Community efforts to prevent and reduce obesity and promote physical activity and healthy eating through mobilizing research, practice, policy development, social marketing "The beneficiaries are as those who identified" behavioral interventions and innovative partnerships. "
In her nomination, Kirk was quoted, carried out many activities during his 16 years with the Cooperative Extension to have to reduce obesity in the state. In collaboration with the Department of State Health Services Texan workfare prevention project undertook several community groups and schools in eight counties in Texas to create environmental change and an effective policy. He also worked on more than 20 committees with a focus on health in Texas and across the country.
"I personally think this award belongs to all workers, persons and organizations involved, I had the pleasure of working with Cooperative Extension works with a variety of projects during my 16 years and older," Kirk said. "This recognition speaks and is ideal partnerships between community and strong organizations across the state to support for better health., I am very pleased to support and participate in projects to healthy life through the power of promoting prevention."
Public-private, Chicago-based association of his nomination, Kirk was also recognized for his work as Chairman of the volunteers of the Action for Healthy Kids Texas, over 50 organizations of national framework for health children with promoting health in schools .
"Alice was the chair of volunteers for Tahk in the last three years an important support for our organization and the leadership moment, stability and commitment of our team of more than 3,500 Member States," wrote Michelle Smith, coordinator of government activities for healthy children organization in his letter supporting the nomination in Texas. "Alice breathed our management team with new energy and enthusiasm. Recognized the value of collaboration, bringing together different organizations to share resources and support each other as we work together on issues of children's health."
Kirk also praised the nomination of "his passion, the people with the greatest health inequalities serve", including limited resources only Spanish marginalized families in the state.
In a letter of support, Dr. Carol Rice, Kirk AgriLife Extension specialist conductor and director of the health program in College Station, Kirk said recently completed a project promoting processing community, for whom he worked closely with Cooperative Extension agents in the counties of South Texas and teammates to form the working party on social coalition.
"The model of the Institute of Medicine prevention of obesity, she helped the coalition to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity and the adoption of a new Non smoking regulation in a community significantly, without a" Rice wrote. "A review of food deserts Community identified in Starr County. Nine gardens were created and maintained in deserts or near food, and 7,124 pounds of these products were collected gardens.The coalition also established a market mobile farmers, more than 10,000 people and has reached more than 46,000 pounds sold in identifying food deserts. "
Rice is also that the leaders of the coalition Kirk helped rehabilitate and renovate two parks and the addition of five hiking trails. Security has increased in the parks by the addition of lights, clean with the community, fences and gates, greatly increased the number of people who are active in parks and walking trails.
"Plays were placed in the center of trails so that the parents could go, while their children play," Rice said in her letter of support. "The banks have been added. County commissioners and other community members, such as electricians, materials, equipment and labor helped make improvements. Shade trees add and improve the aesthetics."
Rice is also that before the project Kirk Starr County led a similar initiative, Communities Putting Prevention to work in eight counties.
In the nomination Kirk was also praised for his work as the agency with the reading program, program coordinator for a better life for the Texans program, his work in transforming Texas and balance of food and Communities Putting Prevention projects work and working with the eight week training program to walk through Texas.
Kirk also won the Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence for her efforts in the system of the diversity of the Texas A & M University and an higher price for the Cooperative Extension Service. In 2010 he was invited neglected over the chair and Diversity Council of the National Rural Health Association.
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