Grant from New Balance Foundation Supports Childhood Obesity Clinic in Bangor

BANGOR, Maine—The New Balance Foundation is generously continuing its support of Maine’s premier childhood obesity clinic at Penobscot Community Health Care.  A new $100,000 grant, awarded last month, will fund the WOW 4 Wellness clinic that helps kids and families throughout Maine.

“Investing in childhood obesity research, treatment and prevention is critical to our mission of supporting life-long health and success for today’s youth,” said Molly Santry, Director, New Balance Global Philanthropy.

The gift, which represents a continuation of the Foundation’s longstanding support for the clinic, will support WOW’s innovative program to treat a disease that often goes unrecognized or unaddressed, according to Valerie O’Hara, DO, WOW’s founding physician.

“This is a truly generous grant, and it will allow us to continue to offer best practices and improve outcomes for the young people and families we serve,” O’Hara said.

The WOW (Way to Optimal Weight) clinic operates at 6 Telcom Drive in Bangor. Dr. O’Hara and the WOW 4 Wellness team are nationally known experts in pediatric obesity.

Their mission is to improve the overall health of the children of Maine who have overweight or obesity, building on healthy lifestyles with additional evidence-based treatment tools.