UAB initiative helps provide Orrville residents with new walking trail

The Orrville Community Walking Trail officially opens to the community Saturday, April 23, 2022.
Written by: Anne Heaney
Media contact: Adam Pope


Trail beforeBefore - Photo by Anne HeaneyThe residents of Orrville, Alabama, are just weeks away from exercising on a brand-new trail. The Orrville Community Walking Trail officially opens to the community Saturday, April 23, 2022.

The trail was planned and built by the Orrville Building Healthy Communities Coalition, an initiative of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Obesity Health Disparities Research Center and Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center.

“This trail is dedicated to improving the lives of the residents of Orrville,” said Grace Okoro, program manager II for the MHRC. “I am so thankful for the continued dedication to the Orrville BHC coalition. We are truly a family.”

With the help of partners, including the Dallas County Board of Education and the Black Belt Community Foundation, the walking trail provides residents with an improved place to exercise.

New Trail StreamAfter - Photo by Anne HeaneyThe day will begin with the Promoting a Healthier You walk at the Orrville Community Center in memory of Rhonda Harris-Vaughan, after which the ribbon will be cut at Keith High School, where the trail is located.

Registration for the annual Promoting a Healthier You walk event will begin at 8 a.m., with the walk beginning at 9 a.m. Following the walk, attendees will be invited to participate in the ribbon-cutting at Keith High School, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Music and refreshments will be available. Attendees will hear from a lineup of speakers who have been integral in the development of the Orrville Community Walking Trail.

Tickets to participate in the Promoting a Healthier You walk are $20. Proceeds from the registration will go toward the Keith High School College Scholarship. To learn more about the Orrville BHC, visit their official Facebook page.

The OHDRC, grant number U54MD000502, is an MHRC initiative funded through the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Centers of Excellence Program.