Students at two Vicksburg public schools were greeted Tuesday with new playground equipment as they began the 2009-10 school year.

Swing sets have been installed at Bovina Elementary, and Bowmar Avenue Elementary boasts a brand-new fitness course, purchased with a grant from Project Fit America.

Bowmar’s new fitness equipment was actually installed in May before the 2008-09 school year ended, principal Tammy Burris said. “As it went up, the kids kept looking at it and saying they couldn’t wait to try it out,” she said.

But that will have to wait until the students are trained by physical education teacher Susan Mims.

The equipment was purchased with a $26,000 grant by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, one of more than 100 awarded to schools throughout the state. Bowmar was the only Vicksburg school that received the grant.

Project Fit America is a national. nonprofit public charity dedicated to getting kids healthy and in shape. Most of its sponsors are hospitals and other health care organizations, and 75 cents of each dollar received transfers back out to schools “for the sole purpose of developing exemplary model schools for cardiovascular health and fitness, its Web site says.

Mississippi’s children, named the nation’s fattest, with more than 44 percent considered overweight or obese, will benefit from the increased fitness emphasis.

Specially developed for Project Fit America, its seven stations utilize lightly-textured grips placed at easy reach and angles appropriate even for children as young as first grade. It does not heat in the summer or chill in the winter, and works upper body, lower body, abdominal strength and cardiovascular endurance and flexibility.

After the kids and staff know how to use the stations, students will be able to play on it at recess and other free times, as long as the equipment is not being used by a P.E. class.

“We want it to be used,” Burris said.

Bowmar also plans to hold a kick-off event in the next week or two, with plans to invite state Sen. Briggs Hopson, city leaders and other officials.

Heading to the north end of town, when Bovina Elementary reopened last year after being closed for nearly a decade, renovations were made to bring classrooms and the cafeteria up to date.

Outside, however, students did without playground equipment, last year, instead playing field games, walking, running or just making up games during recess.

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, they now have 16 swings, plus more play equipment to look forward to in coming months.

“They’ll be very excited to have something else to do,” said Bovina principal Miki Ginn.

Bovina PTO president Cathy Walters said a fall carnival helped raise much of the $6,000 the swings cost, even with rain during the event. Local businesses also contributed.

“The community was real supportive of us this year,” Walters said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”

The PTO is planning another festival for this fall, plus a walkathon and candy sale to raise what’s needed for the second phase of their playground plans.

They hope to install a play structure with slides, climbing equipment and possibly some free-standing elements, plus supporting landscape timbers and bark mulch for cushioning.

The play area will be installed on a lower field area steps away from the large field, which will remain open for physical education classes.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com