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MINNEAPOLIS – February 6, 2006 – The Medtronic Foundation today announced grants totaling $234,000 to schools and community resource centers in the Twin Cities. More than 50 schools in the seven-county metropolitan area received Fitness and Nutrition (FAN) grants. The grants, worth up to $5,000 per school, support school fitness and nutrition programs that encourage innovative ways to promote physical activity and good nutrition.
Recipients of the Medtronic Foundation grants demonstrated a wide range of programs designed to improve the health of their students. For example, Minneapolis’ Lake Harriet Community School’s Natural Foods Residency program addresses nutrition concerns for elementary students. With the Medtronic grant, second- and third-grade students will learn about the most important food crops grown in Minnesota. This program will provide urban students with a greater understanding of where foods come from and what healthy foods taste like.
Jackson Prepatory Magnet School, a St. Paul Public School, will implement a five-year diabetes prevention program that will increase fourth-grade students’ knowledge about healthy food choices and the importance of physical activity. The program hopes to instill lifestyle changes that will circumvent diabetes in high-risk students.
“It’s critical to instill healthy lifestyle habits at an early age, so Medtronic is committed to supporting creative programs that promote exercise and good nutrition,” said Penny Hunt, vice president, Medtronic Community Affairs and Foundation. “Our hope is that these grants will not only support existing programs, but encourage a wide array of innovative initiatives that improve the health of Minnesota’s children.”
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology—alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world. The Medtronic Foundation is committed to improving the health of people and communities. Its grant making is focused in three areas: health, education and community.
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