http://www.dakmed.orgDakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssDakota Medical Foundationenhttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=45Turn off your engines.Turn on your hearts.

Fargo & Moorhead Downtown Streets
Sunday, July 15 and Sunday, August 26
Noon - 5 pm

West Fargo Mini-Streets Alive!
Eastwood Elementary School
Tuesday, August 21
6 - 8 pm

StreetsAlive! are action-packed Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo urban street events to spark movement in our communities. We invite you to jump in, get in motion and have some human-powered fun! Streets will be shut down to motorized traffic to encourage walking, running, biking, rollerblading, skating, dancing and other human movement.

Learn more: www.fmstreetsalive.org.

SEE YOU ON THE STREETS!]]>Tue, 14 Feb 2012Tue, 14 Feb 2012Tue, 14 Feb 2012Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=43Wednesday, September 26
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Barry Hall | NDSU downtown campus

A one-day youth empowerment seminar for educators, professionals and youth organization leaders

Imagine the Fargo-Moorhead community full of young people living to their greatest potential, excited about life and pursing their passions. F-M is the country's first community to partner with Scott Shickler and his Ultimate Life Institute team to empower our young people to live their dreams and make a difference in the lives of others. Scott is co-author of The 7 Mindsets to Live Your Ultimate Life, a book based on groundbreaking research of common traits of the world's happiest, most successful people. Learning the 7 Mindsets is eye-opening. Teaching them is life-changing. Gain inside strategies and techniques to transform lives so you can engage and motivate youth to succeed. Experience the learning techniques essential to empowering young people. Gain methods to ignite a learning spirit and winner's attitude.

Join this exciting day to build a better future for youth of the region.

REGISTER TODAY AT WWW.IMPACTGIVEBACK.ORG. Event is limited to only 60 attendees!

Sponsored by Dakota Medical Foundation so that all youth can realize their greatest health and full potential.]]>Wed, 11 Apr 2012Wed, 11 Apr 2012Wed, 11 Apr 2012Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=42Join or support the Fargo Marathon Lend A Hand GoFarCharity Team!
To join our charity team as a run/walk participant (all events qualify) or as a volunteer on race days, see GoFarCharity Team. To donate to a team member, click the yellow Donate link at the top of the GoFarCharity Team page.]]>Wed, 15 Feb 2012Wed, 15 Feb 2012Wed, 15 Feb 2012Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=40North Dakota Wealth Transfer Study
on Monday, November 7!

To download the Executive Summary, see Wealth Transfer.]]>Thu, 3 Nov 2011Thu, 3 Nov 2011Thu, 3 Nov 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=36Join us Mon., Nov. 21 at the Hilton Garden Inn to recap 2011 Lend A Hand events and to honor volunteers, sponsors, and community members for generously sharing time, talent, and treasure to help families experiencing a medical crisis.

Learn More/RSVP!!]]>Tue, 20 Sep 2011Tue, 20 Sep 2011Tue, 20 Sep 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=35Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead named by KaBOOM! as "Playful Cities"!

KaBOOM!, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing active play time in our country, has named 151 cities as "Playful Cities", including Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead. With only 1 in 5 children being within walking distance to a park, it is evident that this play deficit is having physical, social, and mental consequences on our country's youth.

Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead should be extremely proud to be a part of this movement and will make a strong effort to make this well known to members in our communities. Our play spaces and other opportunities to be active, like the Streets Alive! events, are reasons why Fargo-Moorhead is such a great place to live. We were recognized in a September 6, 2011 press release as a 2011 Playful City which described how our communities are vibrant, active, and have healthy environments to be a part of.

Being nominated as a playful city is making it evident to many that Fargo and Moorhead are healthy and happy environments. Having the members of our community become aware of this logo would continue to spark this excitement. Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead, as well as the rest of the Playful Cities are now eligible for grants from Let's Play, a partnership led by the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. 103 grants worth $2.1 million are available to Playful City USA recipients between now and 2013. We will also receive two road signs per city, totaling 6 for our three cities.

Excitement has emerged with this nomination and it would be marvelous if information regarding Playful City USA continued to be passed on. In order to keep the energy flowing throughout our communities, we are asking if you would place the Playful City logo on your company/oganizations website and print documents. Please contact Kim Palm at 701-271-0263 (1-877-977-5770 toll free) to receive the Playful City USA logo. DMF and KaBOOM! would appreciate hearing feedback on how you plan to use the logo.

The cities were also recognized in the USA Weekend insert and in the The Forum on September 8, 2011.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES HEALTHY!

****************************************************************************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Contact:
Rory Beil, Dakota Medical Foundation, 701-356-3132 or 1-877-977-5770
Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!, 785-320-2137 or 202-327-0086

Making Play a Priority: Non-Profit Organization KaBOOM! Names West Fargo, Fargo and Moorhead Among 151 "Playful City USA" Communities - Communities Fighting Play Deficit by Implementing Policies to Increase Play Opportunities for Children -

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With only 1-in-5 children in the U.S. currently living within walking distance of a park or playground, 151 cities and towns, including West Fargo, Fargo, and Moorhead earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as 2011 Playful City USA communities for their efforts to increase play opportunities for children.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is important to healthy brain development and allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Today's children spend less time playing outside than any previous generations in part because only 20-percent live within walking distance of a park or playground. This Play Deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically as well as mentally and socially because children need a place to play every day in order to be active and healthy.

A key platform in combating the Play Deficit is Playful City USA, a national program advocating for local policies that increase play opportunities for children. KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play, created Playful City USA in 2007 to help local governments address the Play Deficit by ensuring their children have the time and space they need to play.

"We have many young families in West Fargo that want their children to grow up the best they can be. One of the ways is to increase play opportunities for children," says Rich Mattern, West Fargo mayor. "As a city, we realize how important it is that children have a place to play to stay active and healthy."

"The city of Fargo is jumping with joy receiving this important and fun national "Playful City" recognition as a vibrant, active and friendly community," says city commissioner Mike Williams

"At Moorhead Parks and Recreation we believe that playfulness is essential for all human beings to find a genuine quality of life; it allows for fun, relaxation, creativity and happiness," says Holly Heitkamp parks and recreation director.

Hailing from 38 states and one territory, the 151 Playful City USA honorees range in size from five-time honorees such as Atlanta and San Francisco to first-time recipient Gypsum, Colo. (population: 4,000). These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community. In doing so, some of the most innovative concepts and cost-effective programs are being developed in Playful City USA communities.

In the fifth year of the annual program, 19 Playful City USA communities received recognition for the fifth consecutive year, while 24 earned honors for the fourth time, 29 for the third time, 30 for the second time and 49 claimed their first Playful City USA designation.

For the fourth consecutive year, Florida paced the nation with 20 Playful City USA communities. California earned second-place with 14 communities after sharing runner-up honors with Arizona in 2009 and 2010. Arizona finished third with 11 Playful City USA communities.

Each of the 2011 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to addressing the Play Deficit. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children. City initiatives include:

• Fargo (N.D.), West Fargo (N.D.), Moorhead (Minn.) - The tri-city region created a partnership within their Playful City USA application so that all three communities will turn city streets into playstreets at the StreetsAlive! festival.

• Dothan (Ala.) - The city uses the community build model for all playground construction, which builds community cohesion and spirit, but also saves 20-25% on overall cost. The last build, a universally accessible playground, featured 400 volunteers and $600,000 of community-raised funds.

• Niagara Falls (N.Y.) - The city constructed a new basketball court through a joint-use agreement and initiated a mentorship program in conjunction with the new facility. The 2011 Community Intervention Initiative is designed to develop a sense of teamwork, community and responsibility among local youth.

• Pittsburgh (Pa.) - The Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children created a traveling playground program featuring the Imagination Playground system. The Imagination Playground rotates on a monthly schedule between schools and child development centers.

• San Francisco (Calif.) - The five-time Playful City USA honoree developed the Playground Initiative to ensure all children have safe and engaging playspaces in the neighborhoods. The San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council, in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, developed a Playground Report Card to survey the quality of the playgrounds every two years.

"The Play Deficit continues to harm our children and stifle their mental and physical development, while directly facilitating the ongoing childhood obesity crisis," said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! Founder and CEO and author of The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. "These 151 Playful City USA communities have joined KaBOOM! in making a collective statement that we will no longer accept the misconception that play is a luxury when the reality is that play is an absolute necessity for children. West Fargo, Fargo, and Moorhead are committed to the well-being of children and serves as an outstanding role model for the rest of America as we continue to strive toward the KaBOOM! vision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child."

The 151 Playful City USA communities are now eligible for grants via Let's Play - a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids active nationwide. The first Let's Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!. Together, through Let's Play, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America.

Recipients of 2011 Let's Play grants via the Playful City USA program will be announced on Monday, Sept. 19. A total of 103 grants worth $2.1 million are available to Playful City USA recognized cities and towns between 2011-13. Grants range in values of $30,000, $20,000 and $15,000. The $30,000 and $15,000 grants are available for projects relating to joint-use agreements and the $20,000 grants will be awarded to cities using the community playground build process. Cities also are eligible to receive multiple grants during the three-year period. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, a member of the leadership circle within the KaBOOM! National Partner Program, is providing the funding for the grants.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, including Let's Play grants and applications for 2012, visit www.kaboom.org/playfulcityusa.

2011 Playful City USA Communities:
Alamo, Texas
&Albany, Ga.
&Albemarle, N.C.
^Allentown, Pa.
Alvin, Texas
*Ankeny, Iowa
#Arlington, Texas
Aspen, Colo.
*Atlanta, Ga.
^Auburn, Wash.
^Baldwin Park, Calif.
&Bethlehem, Pa.
Birmingham, Ala.
#Bloomington, Ind.
#Brentwood, Calif.
Camden, S.C.
Campbellsville, Ky.
^Casa Grande, Ariz.
#Cerritos, Calif.
*Chandler, Ariz.
&Chevy Chase, Md.
&College Park, Ga.
^Columbia, Ill.
^Columbus, Ohio
^Commerce City, Colo.
#Coolidge, Ariz.
^Coral Gables, Fla.
Coventry, Conn.
*Creedmoor, N.C.
#Danville, Va.
&Davenport, Iowa
#DeRidder, La.
&Doral, Fla.
*Dothan, Ala.
^Durham, N.C.
&East Point, Ga.
#Encinitas, Calif.
^Evans, Colo.
Fargo, N.D.
Ferguson, Mo.
^Fishers, Ind.
&Fort Wayne, Ind.
&Fountain Hills, Ariz.
&Franklin, Ind.
*Gilbert, Ariz.
Glendora, Calif.
#Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Rapids, Mich.
*Greenbelt, Md.
^Greenville, N.C.
Greenville, S.C.
Gypsum, Colo.
^Hamilton, N.J.
Hartford, Conn.
#Henderson, Nevada
#Hernando, Miss.
Hickory, N.C.
Holly, Mich.
Hopewell, Va.
&Horn Lake, Miss.
^Huntsville, Ala.
^Indianapolis, Ind.
&Kenmore, Wash.
*Kenner, La.
*Kerman, Calif.
^Killeen, Texas
Kissimmee, Fla.
#La Mesa, Calif.
*Lake Worth, Fla.
&Lakewood, Calif.
^Laramie, Wyo.
^Las Cruces, N.M.
&Lauderhill, Fla.
^Laurel, Md.
*Longview, Wash.
Lyerly, Ga.
Marion, S.C.
McAllen, Texas
#Mercer Island, Wash.
Meriden, Conn.
^Mesa, Ariz.
&Miami Gardens, Fla.
^Miami Lakes, Fla.
^Missoula, Mont.
Moorhead, Minn.
Moraine, Ohio
Mount Holly, N.C.
&Mount Juliet, Tenn.
#Murray, Ky.
#Nampa, Idaho
^New Port Richey, Fla.
*New Roads, La.
^Niagara Falls, N.Y.
*Norfolk, Va.
North Charleston, S.C.
&North Port, Fla.
#Northglenn, Colo.
&Oak Park Heights, Minn.
&Oldsmar, Fla.
#Orlando, Fla.
Oro Valley, Ariz.
&Ottawa, Kan.
#Palm Bay, Fla.
&Palmetto Bay, Fla.
#Parkland, Fla.
Parsons, Kan.
Petal, Miss.
*Phoenix, Ariz.
Pico Rivera, Calif.
Pikeville, Ky.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
&Redwood City, Calif.
&Richmond Hill, Ga.
#Riverside, Calif.
Rockledge, Fla.
&Rowlett, Texas
Saco, Maine
#Safety Harbor, Fla.
^San Antonio, Texas
&San Bernardino, Calif.
*San Francisco, Calif.
San Juan, P.R.
&Savannah, Ga.
&Scranton, Pa.
Senatobia, Miss.
Shinnston, W.V.
*Shirley, Mass.
*Spartanburg, S.C.
#Springdale, Ark.
Starkville, Miss.
&Sunrise, Fla.
Sweetwater, Tenn.
^Takoma Park, Md.
&Tamarac, Fla.
^Tempe, Ariz.
The Colony, Texas
^Thornton, Colo.
Trenton, N.J.
*Tucson, Ariz.
Union City, Ga.
Waterloo, Iowa
West Fargo, N.D.
West Park, Fla.
^Wichita, Kan.
Williamstown, Ky.
Winona, Minn.
Winter Park, Fla.
#York, Pa.
#Yorkville, Ill.
*Yuma, Ariz.

* Five-time honoree
# Four-time honoree
^ Three-time honoree
& Two-time honoree

2011 Playful City USA Communities by State/Territory:
20: Florida
14: California
11: Arizona
9: Texas
8: Georgia
6: Colorado, North Carolina
5: Indiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
4: Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Washington
3: Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Virginia
2: Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee
1: Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Puerto Rico, West Virginia, Wyoming

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. To fight this Play Deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! 15 years ago in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 85,000 places to play, built more than 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.]]>Wed, 21 Sep 2011Wed, 21 Sep 2011Wed, 21 Sep 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=34Prairie Business in the News highlights North Dakota Worksite Wellness program:

Wellness initiatives have become increasingly popular in recent years and, if implemented properly, can be very successful.

Corporate wellness programs nationwide are driving down healthcare costs, improving productivity, lowering disease prevalence rates and producing happier, healthier, and more loyal employees. Worksite Wellness is hoping to bring those same results closer to home.

Prairie Business magazine featured a story that centers on the benefits of Worksite Wellness projects. The article focuses on the efforts of a variety of companies, including the 24-employee Spectrum Aeromed based in Fargo, and the Grand Forks Public School's wellness program. The stories of success help to paint the picture of why other companies should consider initiatives that improve the health of their employees as well as a company's bottom line. To view the article, see Prairie Business in the News.

To learn more about Dakota Medical Foundation's Worksite Wellness Initiative, see Worksite Wellness Building a Healthy North Dakota.]]>Sun, 4 Sep 2011Sun, 4 Sep 2011Sun, 4 Sep 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=3040 Cass-Clay Student Volunteers Received "Scholarships for Sandbags"

The City of Fargo, DMF and Impact Foundations, and United Way of Cass-Clay have united to honor local student volunteers integral in the 2011 Flood Fight through the "Scholarships for Sandbags" program. Collaborating organizations proudly awarded a cumulative $40,000 in scholarships to 40 Cass-Clay students who helped with the 2011 Flood Fight. Students from 17 different schools throughout Cass and Clay Counties received scholarships and were honored for their volunteer efforts.

Students from public and private schools in both Cass and Clay Counties who volunteered to sandbag during the 2011 Flood Fight were entered into a random drawing for the scholarships.

The 2011 "Scholarships for Sandbags" Cass-Clay Student Volunteer Recipients:

Central Cass High School- Brady Dukart

DGF High School- Sam Stickney

Fargo North High School- Gilbert Garcia, Emily Jacobson, Travis Lein, and Riley Wanzek

Fargo South High School- Shane Anderson, Anthony Hanson, Elizabeth Kennedy, Jade Mari, Hannah Stende, and Brandy Woodrow

Fargo South II- Anel Drocic, Mickenze Lehman, and James Lent

Hawley High School- Nolan Pederson

Kindred High School- Kaitlyn Johnson

Maple Valley High School- Alyssa Freymark

Moorhead High School- Zach Drechsel, Parker Jacobson, Joni Klovstad, Christian Larson, and Mercedes Ness

Northern Cass High School- Jon Malaterre

Oak Grove High School- Brian Anderson, Jordan Craig, Aaron Dunn, and Ye In (Kate) Kim

Park Christian School- Jordan Smith

Red River Area Learning Center- Anthony Clapper

Shanley High School- Payton Drengson, Shanley Roach, Patrick Schultz, and Madeline Stark

Sheyenne 9th Grade Center- Stephanie Sharratt

Woodrow Wilson High School- Taniel Kleppen

West Fargo High School- Ali Abduqaadir, Jermain Greene, Hannah Kiernam, and Alan Repak

Congratulations to the recipients!]]>Mon, 18 Apr 2011Mon, 18 Apr 2011Mon, 18 Apr 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=29
For 37 years this YWCA Cass Clay event has honored exceptional women in our community whose lives, talents, passions, and beliefs have shaped the Cass-Clay community.

Deb Watne, Dakota Medical Foundation Grants Director, was selected as the 2011 Women of the Year Community Service recipient. The Community Service award is bestowed to a woman who has contributed greatly to the quality of life in the community through political involvement, public service, government, and/or social service.

Congratulations to all the 2011 Women of the Year recipients!

Karen Eriksmoen - Education
Kate Haugen - Lifetime Achievement (Florence Reed Owens)
Anne Kaese - Arts & Communications
Theresa Larson - Wellness
Microsoft - Business/Organization that Empowers Women
Lynn Motteberg - Business
Meghan Pegel - Young Woman of Today & Tomorrow
Donna Voorhees - Volunteer Service
Deb Watne - Community Service

The YWCA Cass Clay is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.]]>Mon, 11 Apr 2011Mon, 11 Apr 2011Mon, 11 Apr 2011Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=27
This past fall, a national television show came to our community to build a new wheelchair-accessible home for the family of the nonprofit Executive Director of Hope, Inc., an organization who DMF has partnered with for several years. To view the video that was shared at the DMF annual meeting celebrating the success of the build, please click on EHME.]]>Mon, 29 Nov 2010Mon, 29 Nov 2010Mon, 29 Nov 2010Dakota Medical Foundation Newshttp://www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=24Ramada Plaza Suites, Fargo

Notching Up Success With The Nurtured Heart Approach
An event for parents and professionals who are already using the Nurtured Heart Approach in daily practice. Attend and explore the latest and most innovative way of implementing the Nurtured Heart Approach in your home, school, or agency. Notch up your skills and learn how to bring out the greatness in others while building inner wealth! Registration information coming soon!!!

You can view the event flyer by visiting the Children's Mental Health Calendar of Events.]]>Mon, 29 Nov 2010Mon, 29 Nov 2010Mon, 29 Nov 2010Dakota Medical Foundation News