Supporting a Healthier Future for Houston’s Next 200 Years.
A Call for Support for the Development of the Greater Houston FitLot Network of Outdoor Fitness Parks
In preparation for the bicentennial of Houston in 2036, the American Leadership Forum, Dialogue Houston, University of St. Thomas, and University of Houston-Downtown brought dozens of Houston’s key community leaders together to create and act upon a powerful vision of social justice for Houston’s future.
The collective vision that emerged is a Houston where every community is active, vibrant, and energetic – where people of all ages have access to the tools and resources that make a healthy lifestyle achievable. Fit Houston launched out of the Houston 2036 Task Force on Equity and is dedicated to increasing access to free outdoor spaces and programs for all Houstonians.
Working towards this vision we plan to create a network of outdoor fitness parks throughout Houston that will serve as community health hubs while creating equitable access to physical fitness equipment and programming that all Houstonians can benefit from for generations to come.
For more information about Fit Houston please visit – fithouston.org
The Challenge
Americans suffer from more lifestyle-related, preventable illnesses than any other country in the developed world.
Unfortunately, under-resourced communities often suffer with chronic disease through no fault of their own, lacking critical fitness opportunities in their neighborhood for improved health outcomes and quality of life.
We plan to bridge that gap.
Community Centric Response
COVID-19 has created social isolation, unemployment, and limited access to fitness facilities while putting a strain on physical and mental health. Neighborhoods throughout Houston have had to forge a new normal while finding fresh solutions to long-term problems.
Outdoor Fitness Parks are a Solution
Each fitness park is a community space for people to get active, connect with neighbors, and proactively care for their health.
FitLot’s Impact To Date
Updated October 2023
57
TOTAL FITLOT OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS
FUNDED, DONATED & CONSTRUCTED
$10,863,186
RAISED TO SUPPORT THE CREATION
AND ACTIVATION OF PUBLIC OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS
3,300
NO-COST COMMUNITY FITLOT CLASSES
HELD NATIONWIDE
(10/1/2020 -10/1/2023)
16,100
NO-COST COMMUNITY FITLOT CLASS PARTICIPANTS
265
LOCAL FITNESS PROFESSIONALS
TRAINED AS FITLOT NEIGHBORHOOD COACHES
850+
COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS SUPPORTED
WITH FITLOT’S PARK PLANNING GUIDE
570,000 lbs
OF RECYCLED TIRE RUBBER
KEPT OUT OF LANDFILLS
83,220 Sq Ft
OF PUBLIC OUTDOOR FITNESS PARK
SPACE CREATED
FitLot Has Organized the Donation, Construction and Activation of Outdoor Fitness Parks in all 50 States the USVI, PR and DC.
Click below to find your closest FitLot or to learn more about a particular project.
Praise for “The FitLot Method”
12-week training program
“My mobility has improved more than 50% since I started. About a month ago I’d have to get in a grocery store cart to do my shopping. The progress I’m making is life changing.”
Where You Live Shouldn’t Determine How Long You Live
– But It Does, Far More Than It Should.
Tom Frieden, Former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Life Spans Vary By 23 Years Within The Houston Region
Residents in a high-poverty East Houston neighborhood have the lowest life expectancy in the three-county area (65.7 years). On the other side of the spectrum, a wealthy neighborhood in the Clear Lake area near Bay Oaks Country Club has the longest life span of 89.1 years. This gap is almost equivalent to the difference between low-income developing countries and high-income developed countries. –UnderstandingHouston.org
More Than One Out Of Four Adults In The Houston Region Do Not Get Enough Exercise
Physical inactivity can have serious impacts on a person’s health. Low levels of physical activity can increase the risk for diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, hypertension, cancer, depression, and anxiety.3 In addition, physical inactivity is associated with reduced expenditures on health care treatments for circulatory system diseases.4
The information above comes from the health study, entitled Harris Cares, offering a view into the future of health in Harris County for 2020 and beyond. The study is split into three main sections: Transforming Health in HarrisCounty, Building Resilience in Harris County, and a Snapshot of Health in Harris County
Explore the Network Map
BY THE NUMBERS
7,122,240
7,122,240 people live in the Greater Houston Statistical Area and only a small % currently live within walking distance of an outdoor fitness space.
10-15 parks
The Greater Houston Network will consist of at least 10-15 FitLot Outdoor Fitness Parks planned, built, and activated in existing parks and similar public sites in the Greater Houston Area.
Professional Installation
FitLot works with a team of certified installers who manage construction and installation and also assist with long term maintenance. Each park takes about 3 weeks to build.
The Houston FitLot Network of parks could be built in a matter of months, or the parks could be strategically rolled out over a longer period of time as a multi-year impact initiative.
Community Support
As we continue garnering support from community leaders we look forward to discussing this initiative with you.
- Tina Tran, State Director, AARP Texas
- Joseph G. Rogers, MD – CEO & President, Texas Heart Institute
- Mel Edwards, SVP and Executive Director, American Heart Association, Greater Houston Gulf Coast
- Andrea Caracostis, MD Chief Executive Officer, Bite of Hope
- Donaji Stelzig, DrPH, MPH, CHES, CHWI, LCCE Chief Deputy of Community Health Equity, Trust Community Health Worker
- Marcie Mir, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer, El Centro de Corazón
- Steering Committee Leaders of The Houston 2036 Taskforce on Equity
- Abbie Kamin – Council Member, District C
- Carolyn Evans-Shabazz – Council Member, District D
- Mary Nan Huffman – Council Member, District G
- Edward Pollard – Council Member, District J
- Robert Gallegos – Council Member, District I
Sponsorship Benefits
The Title Sponsor of the FitHouston FitLot Network will be making a statement that they are truly dedicated to the long term health of the community they serve. People will interact with these spaces multiple times a week to improve their health and quality of life for many years to come.
Logo Recognition and Custom Colors
The welcome sign, safety surfacing, and shade canopy all provide opportunities for sponsor recognition and logo placements.
In addition, park equipment can feature a custom color palette to match the branding of the sponsor.
Public Relations
Over the last two years, our Community Build Days, Ribbon Cuttings, and ongoing activation of the parks have all been well covered by news media outlets throughout the country.
In an 18-month period, the AARP FitLot Initiative was picked up by 98 different media outlets across America with a potential reach of over 65 million people. Along with print and online news outlets, almost half of these earned media hits were via local broadcast television news.
We’ve also had broad social media engagement by Mayors and other elected officials, parks and recreation department pages, and FitLot coaches and users all across the country.
The sponsorship amount for the Houston FitLot Network is $3,000,000, an amount that builds a community legacy for at least 15-20 years.
Who We Are
Helen Chou – Athena Infonomics
Lharissa Jacobs – Executive Director, Fit Houston
Rosalinda Martinez – State Director, Community Strategy, AARP Texas
Dr. Van Morris – Associate Professor University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Virginia Ryan– In-Custody Population Manager, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Fit Houston Contact
Lharissa Jacobs M.ED, MBA
Executive Director, Fit Houston
getmoving@fithouston.org | (281) 222-4860
FitLot Contact
Adam Mejerson
Executive Director of FitLot, Inc.
4035 Washington Avenue | New Orleans |LA | 70125
Adam@fitlot.org | (504) 264-1568
