The Wellmark Foundation has announced 13 Iowa organizations as recipients of its 2015 Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) grant program. The 13 grants amount to a total of $824,805, and are designed for plans to develop, implement and enhance local wellness and prevention projects with an emphasis on promoting active living and built environment and increasing access to and consumption of nutritious foods.

Among the grant recipients who were able to raise the necessary matching funds, was the City of Manning, which received a $75,000 grant for its Hospital Connector Trail Bridge. The Manning Regional Healthcare Center opened a new hospital, clinic and recovery center on the edge of Manning in May 2014 to replace a previous downtown facility. That created a very strong need for additional trails, so patients, visitors and employees could have pedestrian access to health care. In addition to the pedestrian transportation benefits, the trail will be used by many for active lifestyle and recreational purposes as it ties into a popular, existing trail, built in 2014.

This was the third year that The Wellmark Foundation offered the MATCH grant program.