How 2023 Annual Award Winners Spent Their Prize Money

2023 Healthiest State Annual Award winners were announced during two award ceremonies at the 2023 Workplace Well-being Conference in April and the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Summit in October. These winners were recognized for their work to improve the physical, social, and emotional well-being of Iowans and were each awarded a monetary prize to continue those efforts. Winners in categories announced at the 5-2-1-0 Summit in October will reveal their projects at a later date.

Inspired by last year’s winners? Applications for the 2024 Healthiest State Annual Awards are now open! Visit the Annual Awards homepage to apply or nominate someone in any of our 6 categories!

Out of School Winner: $500

Can Play

Can Play’s prize money supported their Courage, Opportunity and H.E.R.S. programming in the community.  Can Play’s Courage programs are adapted sports and recreation opportunities serving youth and adults of all ages who have a special healthcare need with limited opportunities for physical movement and social engagement. Their Opportunity programs are no-cost sports and recreation opportunities serving ethnically diverse youth from ages 5 to 14 years-old living in low-socioeconomic areas of central Iowa. The H.E.R.S. programs are all-girls sports and recreation opportunities serving girls of all ages, backgrounds and abilities by providing adaptations to ensure that every girl can play. 

Specifically with the all-girls H.E.R.S. programming, their prize money ensured that 37 girls had the chance to meet with peers, hear from guest speakers, learn life-long lessons, participate in enrichment activities, and get involved with sports taught by positive female mentors at their recent H.E.R.S. volleyball program. The program focused on lessons and values specific to girls to increase their physical activity and improve their attitude, mood, self-confidence, and skills building friendships, working with a team and being a leader.  To ensure the H.E.R.S. programs were accessible to all girls we provided our participants with coaching, uniforms, equipment, translation services, healthy meals, and transportation assistance all at no-cost.

Workplace Winners: $1,000 each

Availa Bank (Johnston)

The Availa team agreed on purchasing air fryers for most of their branches to give them a healthier alternative to make or warm up food at work instead of going out to eat. Some branches did not think their team would use the air fryer and instead opted for cash to give their team members a healthy snack (purchased from local businesses and farmers markets).

DLL Finance (Des Moines)

DLL Finance hosted a virtual meal prep session with a Hy-Vee Dietitian on July 17th. They used their funds to pay for the class, and to subsidize the cost of groceries needed for meals for their members.

They had 35 employees attend the live session and distributed the workshop recording and recipe cards to the rest of their office.

The University of Iowa (Iowa City)

liveWELL, the University of Iowa’s wellness program, donated $500 to the Food Pantry at Iowa, who provides free nutritious food and basic necessities to UI students, faculty, and staff. The pantry distributes over 30,000 pounds of food each semester and 25% of visitors to the food pantry are faculty and staff. The donation helped purchase food items and supplies for the pantry.

liveWELL also donated $500 to the UI Office of Sustainability and the Environment to support a student led initiative to implement edible gardens on campus in spring 2024. The donation will support supplies for the project, and we will have more photos to share later this spring.

Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Winners: $5,000 each

Bettendorf

The City of Bettendorf utilized the award money to purchase Imagination Playground Transportation Blocks. These sturdy large blocks can be used indoors or outdoors in their public Parks, at special events, and beyond. The blocks will be shared between various city departments to promote physical activity and imagination.

(The blocks have been ordered but not utilized in the community, the photo depicts an example of the product)

Hiawatha

Hiawatha chose to put their award dollars towards new shade panels in their newest community amenity, Turtle Creek Park. Shade panels near splash pads play a crucial role in enhancing safety, comfort, and enjoyment for individuals using these water play areas. They contribute to the overall well-being of users, promote the extended use of the facility, and create a more inviting and inclusive recreational space for the community.

“We wanted to make sure the health and safety of our residents and park visitors was our #1 priority,” said Ambyr Severson, Administrative Coordinator for the City of Hiawatha. ”According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the danger of a sunburn goes far beyond any short-term pain and redness. Sunburns are the leading cause of skin cancer and more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the US than all other cancers combined. We are excited for the usability and protection the sun shades will bring for years to come.”

Grundy Center

The Grundy Center Wellness Committee will continue to work on projects that make the healthy choice, the easy choice in Grundy Center. The Healthiest State Annual Award Awards prize money will be used to support the following efforts.

1. One is the installation of shade structures (sails) at Grundy Center’s sport complex. This will provide needed protection from the hot sun and its harmful UV rays for families .

2. The second project is providing a system for community members to gain 24/7 access to the Grundy Family YMCA.  This will improve access to physical activity in our city and rural community. 

3. Finally, the Healthiest State Initiative financial award will be used to purchase a bicycle repair/pump station this winter which will be installed at the Pioneer Trail head, in Grundy Center, this spring. We will continue to draw attention to and support this beautiful trail by hosting events and by planning to add more amenities such as mile markers and fruit trees.

Individual Winner: $1,000

Becky West (Solon)

Using Becky’s prize money, the Solon Community School District purchased new playground equipment for students including frisebees, hula-hoops, balls, and obstacle course equipment. The new equipment encourages students to get active in different ways during recess and P.E. and can be used for individual play, group activities, and team games!