BCBSKS Fitness Courts
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS), Kansas Recreation & Park Association (KRPA) and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) launched a statewide partnership in 2021 to expand free access to high quality workouts by bringing outdoor Fitness Courts® to communities across Kansas. This partnership was formed to fight obesity, improve quality of life and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state.
The BCBSKS Fitness Courts® feature a series of seven-minute workouts with the benefits of digital coaching on the free Fitness Court App, which delivers regular content to keep fitness training fun for adults of all ages and fitness levels. With 12 BCBSKS Fitness Courts across the state, and more coming, be on the lookout for this new fitness opportunity in a community near you.
If your community would like to learn more about how they can apply for a grant, see Kansas Fitness Courts (National Fitness Campaign).
Current locations
Be the Spark
To increase Kansas teens' awareness of the importance of leading an active lifestyle, the Be the Spark initiative challenges teens to engage their peers in a healthier lifestyle. The Be the Spark initiative was started in 2017 and is now on its fourth round of funding. In each round of funding, mini grants are awarded to local Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) school clubs through the Kansas Association for Youth Alumni Network (KAYAN). Over the course of the program, 34 Be the Spark grants have been awarded to KAY clubs to improve their communities so teens can be more physically and mentally healthy.
Mini-grants help local KAY clubs create and implement projects that will help improve physical and mental well-being for their peers and future generations.
Bike Share programs
Bike Share ICT provides the Wichita community with convenient, affordable access to bicycles as an easy, fun, healthy and eco-friendly means of transportation and recreation. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has been the primary sponsor of Bike Share ICT since it launched in 2017.
More than 200 bikes across 40 station locations are available to improve physical and mental health while connecting Wichita neighborhoods and building community.
KANcycle is a rural bike share program offering 80 bikes across nine communities in north central Kansas: Belleville, Beloit, Coffeyville, Concordia, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Mankato, Minneapolis and Salina. A partnership between BCBSKS and OCCK, Inc., KANcycle is a great way to commute, exercise, and explore – all while enjoying fresh air and having fun. North Central Kansas is beautiful, and it’s even better by bike!