The Department of Health Education and Wellness said members of the organization are looking forward to welcoming a new addition to the campus of Mississippi State University: a walking and running track around Chadwick Lake.
The new track will be funded by a grant provided to MSU by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation and will be just under one mile long.
Joyce Yates, director of health education and wellness at MSU, said she hopes the track will complement to the Sanderson Center, as the track will be behind it.
“The track is allowing a convenient on-campus site for students, faculty and staff and Starkville community to use,” Yates said.
Yates said she was also excited the track would have aesthetic appeal because the track will provide beautiful scenery and views of MSU’s campus to runners.
Paul Vaughan, sophomore kinesiology major, said he runs on the indoor track now but is excited about the new track coming because he enjoys being outside while running.
“I know I’d rather have somewhere to run outside because of the scenery and fresh air,” he said. “I think it being outside will help draw people in more than the indoor track.”
MSU was awarded the grant after much research by the Department of Health Education and Wellness and countless hours of writing and preparing the grant.
Bill Kibler, vice president of Student Affairs, said MSU was fortunate to receive this grant and that this grant has also helped to fund the MSU on the Move program.
“We were very honored to receive the grant because we were informed when we were receiving it, that it was the largest single grant that the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation had ever awarded. So we were very fortunate to get such a large allocation to Mississippi State,” Kibler said.
Yates said she hopes the track will provide students, faculty and staff with a convenient way to exercise more often, as well as bring the Starkville and MSU communities together.
“Starkville got healthiest hometown last year, and by our getting this grant we are able to work with the community and this is something that both will have use of. It promotes a mutual benefit for both MSU and Starkville community in mutual efforts to support excellent health,” Yates said
Plans are underway to begin breaking ground on the track in January and the project is projected to be finished by the end of March.