BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Hearts of all different sizes now decorate portions of the sidewalk in downtown Baton Rouge, but it’s not because of Valentine’s Day.
They are all part of the new heART Trail, which combines healthy living with the love of public art. Utilizing existing infrastructure, participants take a heart-shaped walk throughout downtown Baton Rouge. Walkers are guided along the path with original artwork created by students at Dufroqc Elementary.
The first group of walkers stepped on the path shortly after noon on Friday, Feb. 14. Artist and path creator Taylor Jacobsen led the group along the trail, which is 3.1 miles.
The project was made a reality through collaboration with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Additional partnerships with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and the Baton Rouge General Foundation helped to get the project on its feet... literally.
Walking is one of the best ways to improve heart health, so the ultimate goal of this path is to call attention to the need for healthy living. That is just one of the reasons why this project is supported by the Mayor’s Office.
On Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., the Mayor will make part of the heART Trail the path for her Fitness Stroll.
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