LiveWell Lawrence celebrated its sixth birthday by giving gifts to others.

The wellness coalition, whose goal is to make it easier for Douglas County residents to eat healthy foods, be physically active and live tobacco free, awarded five Culture of Health Action Awards and 10 grants at a celebration breakfast Friday morning at the Eldridge Hotel.

The celebration really was all about birthdays, and how we get to the next one, said Nikki White, chair of the LiveWell Lawrence coalition.

“Whether it’s smoking cessation, eating well, being active, all of it together, and taking care of each other, that’s what all of this is about,” White said.

The Action Award Recipients promote programs that support the goals of the LiveWell Lawrence mission. The award winners were Allen Press, the city of Lawrence, Douglas County, Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the Community Health Program at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.

“It was very hard to choose, because there are so many agencies and businesses doing great things for their employees,” said Eileen Horn, chair-elect of the LiveWell Lawrence coalition.

For the first time, LiveWell also gave out 10 Community Wellness grants to area agencies for projects related to the health and wellness of the community.

Marilyn Hull with the Douglas County Community Foundation announced the Community Wellness grant recipients:

• Ballard Community Service
• Communities in Schools of Mid-America
• Community Mercantile Education Foundation
• Douglas County District Court
• Douglas County Housing, Inc.
• Lawrence Parks and Recreation
• Rainbow Experience Preschool, Baldwin City
• Smart Strength at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School
• The Willow Domestic Violence Center
• Lawrence Public Schools Food Service