2008 STEPS COMMUNITY HEROES AWARDS
AWARD WINNERS
Raymond Denniston
Woody Hansen
Stephanie Heim
Dawn Imler and Kelley Brumfield
Peggy Johns
Patty Tobal
Raymond “Ray” Denniston
Johnson City Central School District
Conklin, New York
Nominated by Steps to a HealthierNY-Broome County
View
the captioned video clip of Ray Denniston describing how he helped
improve students’ and families’ access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
Read the transcript (PDF-
28KB).
Ray Denniston, who is sometimes referred to as a “Ray of
Sunshine,” has been a dynamic Steps partner and advocate ever since the
Steps to a HealthierNY-Broome County program began 5 years go. While
employed as the Food Service Director for the Johnson City School District
and serving as a committed member of the program’s consortium—as well as an
active member of more than 12 local and state teams, coalitions, and boards—Mr. Denniston has found the time and passion to work to implement policy,
systems, and environmental change strategies for improving school nutrition
at the state, local and regional level, and for increasing physical activity
opportunities in the community. Mr. Denniston understands the
link between hungry children and impaired cognitive function, that when
children are hungry, their capacity to learn is diminished. Compelled to
address this situation, Mr. Denniston partnered with community organizations
and implemented a Back Pack program to feed hungry students after school, on
the weekends, and during holiday breaks. He then worked to expand this
program by incorporating the Farm to School and Give Me Five (fruit and
vegetable servings per day) initiatives, which improved the nutritional
value of the school district’s back packs. Additionally, Mr. Denniston
helped promote Give Me Five program events by organizing students to
participate in TV commercials that promote eating fruits and vegetables. Mr.
Denniston was also extremely instrumental in implementing the Rock on Café.
This program was a collaborative effort of 15 school districts and 11,000
students who participated in an affordable, healthy daily school lunch
program. Mr. Denniston is also the Chairman of the Walkable
Community Committee in the Town of Conklin, New York, and a recipient of the
Broome County Steps Walkable Community Award for his promotion and outreach
efforts in this community-wide walking campaign. Because of Mr. Denniston’s
leadership, Conklin received a half-mile walking and exercise trail and more
than $200,000 in funds for a three-phase, walkable community project. This
“Ray of Sunshine” goes above and beyond the call of duty …… with a smile on
his face. Back to top
Woody Hansen
Sam Hider Community Clinic
Jay, Oklahoma
Nominated by Steps to a Healthier Cherokee Nation
View the captioned video clip of Woody Hansen explaining what S-T-E-P-S
means to him. Read the transcript (PDF-
33KB).
Woody Hansen is always willing to assist with any activity
designed to promote individual, family, and community fitness and wellness.
He began working with Steps to a Healthier Cherokee Nation when the program
first began in 2004 and has been a proactive Steps advocate ever since. Mr.
Hansen is described by Cherokee Nation Steps program staff as a “vivacious,
energetic, caring, gentle, sincere man without pretense who is extremely
proactive in the community. When Woody is confronted with a problem his
response is always ‘what can we do about it?’” One of Mr.
Hansen’s accomplishments on behalf of Steps to a Healthier Cherokee Nation
is the grant he obtained to lease land and purchase equipment for a
community garden in order to increase access to affordable, fresh produce.
Mr. Hansen generously offered his own time and his family’s to implement and
manage the garden – a typical, unselfish act by Mr. Hansen. He also gives
presentations in the community to groups of all sizes and ages without
payment for any expenses he incurs. The many presentations Mr. Hansen gives
include information on poison, outdoor safety, reptiles and their role in
the environment, diabetes, HIV/AIDS/STDs, and heart health, among other
health topics. He is also skilled in acting and storytelling and includes
skits and storytelling in many of his presentations. Additionally, Mr.
Hansen conducts a Spring roadside community clean-up, and once again, incurs
the expense of the clean-up himself. In May 2007, shortly
after Mr. Hansen obtained a grant for the land to be used for the community
garden project, he was driving along a local road and saw a snake. Mr.
Hansen needed this snake for a presentation on outdoor safety he would be
giving soon, so he stopped to get the snake. Unfortunately, a car hit him
from behind as he knelt down to pick up the snake and shattered his left
leg. As a result of this accident, Mr. Hansen ended up in a wheelchair and
on crutches for the ten months that followed. Being on
crutches did not stop Mr. Hansen from completing a 5K walk he had committed
to participate in. His commitment and endurance were an inspiration to all
who saw him as he completed the walk, crutches and all! Mr. Hansen is a true
Steps Hero, who will go to any length to promote fitness and wellness to
anyone who will listen, and even to some who aren’t so sure they want to
listen. He leads by example, and that speaks for itself. Back to top
Stephanie Heim
The University of Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Nominated by Steps to a HealthierMN-Rochester
View the captioned video clip of Stephanie Heim describing her work in a
school district to help middle school students build and maintain a
community youth garden.
Read the transcript (PDF-
35KB).
Steps Program volunteer and advocate Stephanie Heim used her
passion for the community to exemplify good nutrition and a healthy
lifestyle. Ms. Heim’s contributions include leading a community youth garden
project from conception to completion, developing educational resources on
nutrition for community residents, and providing taste-testing classes using
fresh fruits and vegetables. Working with key Steps partners, including the
Rochester Area Family YMCA and Rochester Public Schools, Ms. Heim also
facilitated the preparation and pilot testing of an after-school nutrition
education program for middle school students at high risk for obesity and
diabetes. Additionally, Ms. Heim implemented various art projects that
helped beautify the community garden. Using a strategic approach, she worked
with a skilled master gardener to design and create several aspects of the
garden, including using the garden as a nutrition education resource.
Another contribution Ms. Heim made to the Steps to a
HealthierMN-Rochester program was obtaining a grant for start-up costs for
developing the community garden and working with young people to complete
it. She also generated additional funds, which made the project sustainable.
Additionally, Ms. Heim developed nutrition education resources, which she
made available at the local YMCA. For her taste-testing classes, she bought
fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market. Ms. Heim’s passion for good
nutrition was highlighted in a “motivational moment” one day when a parent
thanked her for “instilling in their children a positive attitude about
fruits and veggies.”
Back to top
Dawn Imler and Kelley
Brumfield
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Cleveland, Ohio
Nominated by Steps to a Healthier Cleveland
View the captioned video clip of Dawn Imler describing her efforts to
establish a school running program and her student, Kelley Brumfield,
talking about her participation.
Read the transcript (PDF-
36KB).
For the past 3 years, Dawn Imler, a physical education
teacher, and Kelley Brumfield, one of her seventh grade students, have
worked together to encourage healthy habits and exercise among Cleveland’s
young people by helping facilitate and then participating in a marathon
program. This running program teaches young people to set and achieve goals,
increasing their self-confidence as well as their fitness and endurance, in
a collaborative effort between the Cleveland Steps Program, the YMCA of
Greater Cleveland, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and the Rite
Aid Cleveland Marathon.
Ms. Imler volunteers her time to marathon efforts by driving
student runners to the local YMCA, teaching them to use athletic equipment
and supplemental activities in their marathon training, pushing them to
achieve their athletic capacity, designing and expanding the 10K marathon
training program to include more training modules and an official medal for
the marathon winner, and leading by example through her repeated completion
of the marathon each year.
Kelley Brumfield is one of the students Ms. Imler has
inspired to train and run the half marathon (13.1 miles). Kelley’s
involvement has paved the way for incorporating longer distances and
expanding training and conditioning activities in the marathon program while
she serves as a mentor to other students. Ms. Imler says Kelley is a “role
model for all Cleveland students, an exceptional young female who epitomizes
strength, courage, and at a young age…… wisdom.”
Without Ms. Imler’s enthusiasm and support, Kelley would
have never known what it feels like to cross a finish line on the streets of
downtown Cleveland in front of hundreds of cheering spectators. Ms. Imler,
in her humble way, denies that she’s anyone’s ‘hero,’ asserting that she is
“just an average person who cares about the future of her kids.”
Back to top
Peggy Johns
Pinellas County Schools
Largo, Florida
Nominated by Steps to a HealthierFL-Pinellas County
View the captioned video clip of Peggy Johns describing her work to
improve students’ health and academic achievement.
Read the transcript
(PDF- 36KB).
Peggy Johns has been involved with Florida/Pinellas County Steps Program
since its inception. She assisted with the initial grant application and
with the development of the school program as the District Manager of the
Pinellas County Schools’ Wellness Policy and Administration Guidelines. Ms.
Johns also leads a campaign to secure a nurse for every school in the
county. Additionally, she has successfully advocated for the inclusion of
health education in the curricula for all Florida high school students. As
the chairman of the Family Life Education Committee, she also oversees
mental health, drug use prevention, and human sexuality speakers/programs
for the school district.
Ms. Johns is the co-author and editor of What Every High School Student
Needs to Know About AIDS booklets. And most importantly, Ms. Johns partnered
with local governmental agencies and the University of South Florida to
modify the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Data from these elementary, middle,
and high school expanded instruments drive the school district’s health
program and grant applications.
In 1988, Ms. Johns was recognized as the Health Teacher of the Year by
Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and
Sport. In 2005, she was recognized as the Health Coordinator of the Year by
the Florida School Health Association. In addition, she is Board Member of
the Teen Health Alliance, and for six years has served on the Pinellas
County Juvenile Welfare Board’s Teen Sexuality Task Force. Ms. Johns has
also been appointed to serve on the Health and Human Services Coordinating
Council for Pinellas County, and to present to the Governor’s Council for
Physical Fitness. She is a true community collaborator for health promotion.
A true community collaborator for health promotion, Ms. Johns’ tireless
work as an advocate, leader, mentor, and advisor can be seen in schools, in
the community, and throughout the state of Florida. Thanks in large part to
her work, their Steps school program has received national recognition.
Everyone recognizes a hero in the work of Peggy Johns.
Back to top
Patty Tobal
Hopwood Village Project and the Steps Health Ministry Initiative
Hopwood, Pennsylvania
Nominated by Steps to a HealthierPA-Fayette County
View the captioned video clip of Patty Tobal describing her dual role
in planning a community trail and helping churches train parish nurses.
Read the transcript (PDF-
42KB).
Patty Tobal embodies the spirit of the Steps program
through her altruistic dedication to improving her fellow county residents’
health. She supports enhanced access to physical activity venues and better
nutrition by emphasizing environmental changes in her community. As the
chair of the Healthier Hopwood, a health coalition group, Ms. Tobal promoted
walking routes and advocated for the completion of new sidewalks on both
sides of the Historic National Road. Endorsing the Steps initiatives, she
encouraged local businesses to promote healthier food choices and increase
physical activity in Hopwood. Because of Ms. Tobal’s work, neighborhood
grocery stores and restaurants implemented changes that support healthier
lifestyles.
A true leader, Ms. Tobal’s actions were not limited to her
neighborhood. She was instrumental in developing a county-wide Health
Ministry Project. In her own church, she started a health ministry team. Ms.
Tobal then recruited other congregations to follow her initiative and
establish health ministries in their respective churches.
As a retired nurse, Ms. Tobal managed a nursing program
providing intensive case management and home visits for pregnant women and
their children. She also worked on tracking and patient reminder software
and an evidence-based diabetes education program for local physicians.
Leading an initiative to test and reduce secondhand smoke
in homes or promoting the use of a one-mile stretch of new sidewalks, Ms.
Tobal is always concerned with improving the health of her neighbors in the
community. Her compassion and dedication have inspired many in Fayette
County.
Back to top
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Page last reviewed: June 9, 2008
Page last modified: June 23, 2008
Content source: Division of Adult and
Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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