Mayor Mark Holland announced his Healthy Campus initiative will receive a $1 million contribution from the Wyandotte Health Foundation. The announcement of the donation was made during Thursday’s Town Hall meeting where community members gathered to give input on the project.
The site being reviewed for development is near Big 11 Lake at the intersection of State Avenue and 10th Street, where planning has begun for a new grocery store and community center. Those two anchor projects not only offer $30 million of economic development in a location that has a strong need for investment and growth, but offer residents additional access to healthy food and fitness options.
“I can’t thank the Wyandotte Health Foundation enough for supporting the vision of a Healthy Campus in Downtown KCK.” Mayor Holland said. “My hope is that this development will serve as a national model for healthy living in an urban area. The Foundation’s partnership will be pivotal to helping us realize this exciting vision.”
William Epperheimer, president and CEO of the Wyandotte Health Foundation, presented Mayor Holland with the $1 million donation, along with Board Chairman Leon Logan, and Immediate Past Chairman Ray Daniels. The Board of the Foundation expressed its hope that the campus would include a primary care clinic and/or an urgent care clinic to serve the uninsured and medically underserved residents of the area.
“The foundation is pleased and honored to play a significant role in the development of a Healthy Campus that will improve the physical environment of our older downtown area,” Epperheimer said. “Our mission is to promote and improve the health of Wyandotte County citizens, particularly the indigent, through grants and collaborative efforts and we believe the Healthy Campus advances that mission.”