About Us:

Get Fit Itasca is a community led collaborative, fiscally sponsored by the Itasca County Family YMCA.

Mission:

To engage all people in Itasca County to make healthy choices and participate in activities that improve their quality of life.

Our Grants:

Good Food Guidelines Grant: 2019-2023

Essentia Deer River Grant: 2019-2022

This grant focuses staff time on enhancing community partnerships in Deer River, as well as expanding the community garden, farmers market, and food shelf/pantry supports. In 2022, we also started working on trail accessibility and transportation efforts.

IEDC Cares and Bigfork Valley Foundation Grants: 2021
Support during COVID

AARP Community Challenge Grant: 2019

In collaboration with City of Grand Rapids, we added a canoe sculpture, a map kiosk, and two benches to the new pedestrian bridge in Grand Rapids. Along with input from the community and help from ARDC, we worked to create a non-motorized transportation focal point along the Mississippi River.

Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP): 2009-2019

Itasca County is part of a 7 county region of SHIP called Healthy Northland (www.healthynorthland.org). Get Fit Itasca was the county's home for SHIP projects, it has been moved into Itasca County Public Health. An important part of Minnesota’s health reform initiative, the goal of SHIP is to help Minnesotans live longer, better, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic disease. This is done through evidence-based strategies - changing policies, systems, and environments to ensure that they promote healthy living in the population.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice - Community Innovation Grant: 2018-2019

Bringing together diverse stakeholders in the Deer River area to create community-generated solutions for low-income families access to fresh, healthy food.

Community Wellness Grant (CWG): 2017-2018

The Center for Disease Control Community Wellness Grant focused on diabetes prevention and prediabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program offered courses in Grand Rapids and Deer River. CWG also assisted in funding the Worksite Wellness collaborative to offer diabetes prevention tools to worksites.

To learn if you are at risk visit: icanpreventdiabetes.org

Blue Cross Blue Shield - Active Living for All (ALfA): 2013-2018

Projects focused on Grand Rapids, LaPrairie, and Itasca Community College were funded for Get Fit Itasca in part by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, as part of Blue Cross's long term commitment to tackling the leading causes of preventable disease: tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy eating.

Read about the projects in this infographic

YMCA of the USA - Pioneering Healthier Communities Phase 2 (PHC2): 2012

Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Community Transformation Grant: 2012

MN Department of Transportation (MNDoT) - SHRP2: 2010

Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board - HR2695: 2010-2011

Blandin Foundation - Community Action: 2010

YMCA of the USA - Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC): 2007-2009

BCBS Center for Prevention - Active Living by Design Community Planning: 2006-2007

Itasca County Family YMCA, Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, and Partners - Support of a new initiative to combat the rising rates of obesity in Itasca County: 2005/2006-present