"These three schools in Graves County brings our total to 15. We've had schools in Graves, McCracken, Marshall, and Calloway counties." said Donna Rains, Baptist Health Paducah's director of community outreach. "In 2007, when we opened the Baptist Heart Center, we wanted to do something to help children grow up to be heart healthy. We researched the topic and really like this program because it's really a turnkey. We thought that even though it is a two-year grant program, that it could last well beyond that two years, once we invested in a school. The equipment should be permanent and the teacher training and teaching curriculum can be used well beyond that time. In fact, Graves County Central Elementary was one of our first two schools."
"During our capital campaign, 'Celebrating Miracles, Transforming Lives,' last year that concluded this October, we were able to fund various projects in the community," said Roy Lowdenback, Baptist Health Paducah's vice-president of business development. "We had a donor very passionate about Graves County and due to her time as a physical education teacher in another state and her interest in projects at the hospital, this came about. She funded projects that weren't slated to take place this year. So, we were able to unite those programs and make this all happen this year."
