Iron Area Health Foundation grants Forest Park Elementary $500 for Field Day

The Iron Area Health Foundation gave Forest Park Elementary a $500 mini-grant to help pay for School Field Day, a small grant with a direct classroom-to-playground impact for every elementary student involved.

The money backed an event built around physical activity and healthy competition, with students taking part in a range of outdoor exercises designed to promote healthy living and active lifestyles. For a school-wide day like Field Day, even a modest grant can matter: the funds can help cover supplies, logistics and equipment needed to run stations across the school grounds without pulling those costs onto families or the regular school budget.

That makes the grant more than a ceremonial donation. It helped support an activity that reaches the entire elementary school and gives students a visible, hands-on connection to exercise, teamwork and participation. In a time when schools often look beyond their standard budgets for enrichment support, the $500 award served as a practical piece of the financing that keeps a tradition like Field Day moving.

The foundation’s role also reflected a broader local network of support for schools and health initiatives. In a photo with the article, foundation board members Kristine Rivard, Kurt Anderson and Barb Waara were identified along with director Lyle Smithson Jr. and Field Day Committee Member Kimberly Pekarek, underscoring that the grant came from an organized community effort rather than a single one-time gift.

The Field Day funding was awarded as a tangible investment in a school event that touches every student at Forest Park Elementary. It also showed how small outside grants can ease the burden on local schools while keeping everyday enrichment activities visible, active and accessible for families in Iron County.