Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center joined the community effort to meet the $500,000 match offered for the Final Drive for 5n5 and complete the Community Impact Challenge.

Wake Forest Baptist committed $60,000 to create the Wake Forest Baptist Health Fund – a community fund with an interest in health.

The Wake Forest Baptist Health Fund is a community fund endowment that will provide support for projects and organizations that positively impact the health of Davie ] residents.

“We are excited to support the Community Impact Challenge,” said Chad Brown, president of Wake Forest Baptist Health – Davie Medical Center. “Through this fund, Davie Medical Center will be able to positively impact the health of people in our community for years to come.”

Collaborative projects that address the health of Davie residents will be eligible for grants from the fund.

“We are thankful for the generous support of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in meeting the match and completing the 5n5 Community Impact Challenge,” said Jane Simpson, foundation president. “Obviously community health is a focus of Wake Forest Baptist, and it is also one of the three focus areas of the Healthy Davie Initiative launched in December 2014 with a goal of creating collaborative projects that ultimately lead to a holistically ‘Healthy Davie.’”

The Davie Community Foundation board described a “Healthy Davie” as a community where:

• quality education begins in early childhood and continues throughout life;

• there are safe and healthy places to live and grow;

• adequate and stable employment opportunities, with livable wages;

• affordable childcare and timely transportation are offered;

• numerous options for physical activity and recreation can be found;

• healthy and affordable nutritional choices are accessible;

• quality health care, including mental health, is available to all; and

• enriching cultural events and activities are organized.

The Wellness Committee of the Healthy Davie Initiative continues to discuss ways to encourage residents to work toward better health through physical activity, better eating habits, and quality health care.