A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 7 to celebrate the grand opening of new fitness rooms at Pisgah High School and Central Haywood High School.

The fitness rooms were developed and funded through the Carol M. White, PEP Grant awarded to the Haywood County Schools. The grant is entitled Mountain R.O.A.D.S. (Reducing Obesity via Activity and Diet for Students) program in 2011.

This three-year, million dollar grant has “enhanced and expanded the county’s physical education and health programs,” stated Haywood County Schools’ PEP Grant Director, Natalie Boone. Boone, a former physical education teacher at Hazelwood Elementary, added “major goals for the grant are to increase student fitness activities, fitness levels, nutrition awareness and decreasing obesity across our county.” The ...