HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital was thanked recently for its June contribution of $25,000 to support the TREC Trail Expansion Project. The donation was used to help pave a new portion of the trail which was opened earlier this fall. The new portion of the trail has been well received by the community and is part of on ongoing project to create 30 miles of free-access trails in the county.
“We are fortunate in our community to have the TREC organization, whose trails increase tourism and improve the quality of life for area residents,” said St. Anthony’s President and CEO Theresa Rutherford. “At St. Anthony’s, we realize that promotion of good health occurs outside the walls of the hospital, which are the social determinants of health. These are the many societal and non-medical factors that play a much larger role in determining someone’s ability to be healthy, such as the physical environment in which they live, the economic stability or instability in their lives, and their access to healthy foods and exercise,” she continued.
TREC Board President Frank Brummer also shared his appreciation for the hospital’s continued support. “On behalf of the Board, we are grateful for the support of HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital for the expansion of our trail. Effingham County’s trail system would not be possible without the generous support of the community. The contributions of area organizations, along with grants and governmental support, make the continued construction of trails possible.”
The hospital’s support of the project is largely to increase the percentage of Effingham County Residents who have access to what they refer to as “exercise opportunities.” According to St. Anthony’s, only around 46 percent of Effingham County’s population has access to exercise opportunities as compared to 86 percent statewide.