The White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have invited The Rapides Foundation to a gathering on Improving Health Outcomes Through Faith-Based and Community Partnerships.This one-day event – on Tuesday, Sept. 20 – will bring together a small group of health system and foundation CEOs and staff with senior domestic health policy leaders from the White House and HHS to explore how communities are crafting the partnerships and programs that work for the good of the community.

Grace Christian School of Alexandria won the $10,000 grand prize Tuesday night in the grand finale of the Get Healthy Cenla Video Challenge. The school’s 30-second video “Be Strange, Eat Healthy: the New Normal” won first place before a panel of expert judges.Winning second place and a $5,000 prize was Avoyelles High School. The third-place winning team, LaSalle High School, won $2,500.

The Rapides Foundation is accepting Letter of Intent submissions for its May 15 grant cycle. These grants are intended to support projects or programs that address specific issues of interest to the Foundation. Proposals should impact residents within Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon and Winn parishes.

Schools and communities are holding activities April 18-24 for Turnoff Week, a nationally recognized week that encourages people to step away from their computer and TV screens, and engage in healthy activities. The Rapides Foundation endorses Turnoff Week because research shows that reduction in screen time can improve a person’s health, which is at the heart of our Diet and Physical Activity Initiative’s goals to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children and adults.