23 Cities and Counties Receive Special Recognition for Reaching Five Gold Medals
On November 20 2014, the National League of Cities (NLC) recognized 23 communities, and the mayors, city councilmembers and county commissioners leading the efforts in these communities, who have completed the five goals of Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties. The 23 five-gold medal cities and counties being recognized include:
Annapolis, Maryland
The City of Annapolis strives to enrich residents’ quality of life by advocating for healthy, active living, nutrition education and by offering recreational programs in community facilities and parks. The City runs several programs catering to children’s health and physical well-being. The Mighty Milers program engages 300 youth in grades 3-5. Kids learn nutrition and proper running form as they build endurance. The U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen volunteer to coach the participants and encourage children to achieve their goals. The Teen Mindful Health Program is a six-week physical activity and nutrition program for teens. One-on-one personal training, yoga, nutrition lectures, daily food logs and grocery store tours educate participants on the importance of exercise and nutrition. Additionally, the City has implemented a successful healthy vending program and displays MyPlate posters throughout city offices and facilities.
Avondale, Arizona
The City of Avondale is committed to ensuring that families have the resources to keep kids healthy through a myriad of youth sports and recreation activities, and early childhood and family services programs. The city encourages physical activity among youth by offering an 80,000 square foot indoor basketball, soccer and volleyball sports facility. The Saturday morning farmers market at Avondale Friendship Park gives residents access to fresh, locally grown produce. Additionally, the city’s Civic Center campus is the site of a community garden, where residents can lease small plots of land to grow and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. Avondale has long promoted walking and cycling through its commitment to building walking trails, bike lanes and open space amenities all across the city. The Mayor’s monthly “City Hall Comes to You” initiative has also focused on healthy eating, with nutrition demonstrations at a local Food City grocery store, and “Come and Play” events for young children and parents at the Avondale Library.
Beaumont, Texas
The City of Beaumont holds the distinction of being the first Let’s Move! City to earn gold medals in all five LMCTC goals. Their efforts began in January 2013, when Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Alan Coleman met with the City’s Public Health Department and Parks Department to focus their attention on the five LMCTC goals. Nine months later, Beaumont achieved all five gold medals. The City is especially proud of the wide-range of municipal and private partners that helped the City achieve LMCTC Goal I: Start Early, Start Smart. In partnership with the Beaumont Public Health Department, H-E-B Grocery, Beaumont Independent School District, and the Beaumont Fire Department, the City recently hosted its second multi-purpose training session where local childcare providers discussed nutrition goals, sanitation standards and fire safety. In October 2014, the Healthy Beaumont coalition was formed to address the childhood and adult obesity rates in Southeast Texas. A Healthy Beaumont website is being created that will provide easy access to fitness opportunities, nutritional counseling and medical advice.
Boise, Idaho
A subcommittee of Mayor David Bieter’s Council on Children and Youth, Let’s Move Boise is led by representatives from Boise Parks and Recreation, Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Boise School District, Central District Health Department, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, Boise Urban Garden School and Girls on the Run. In 2014, a series of Let’s Move Boise workshops led to the passage of a city ordinance championed by City Council member T.J. Thomson. The ordinance provides training and licensing requirements for child care providers to meet new guidelines for healthy nutrition, increased physical activity, support of breastfeeding and reduction in screen time. In 2013, Boise Mayor David Bieter launched a yearlong walking challenge for the city’s sesquicentennial. Hundreds of children and adults walked a total of 182,000 miles. In October 2014, the walking challenge was expanded throughout the Treasure Valley to include 36 schools in 5 cities. Five mayors and one county commissioner competed in an elected officials challenge. Additional accomplishments include a free Just Add Water school garden workshop attended by 65 people, construction of two new school gardens, support of the Idaho Foodbank and Boise School District free summer meals program, and a School Lunch Recipe Contest modeled after the White House Kids State Dinner contest.
Burleson, Texas
The City of Burleson is dedicated to the education, promotion, participation and growth of healthy lifestyles and choices for all of its 39,920 residents. For this purpose, Mayor Ken Shetter established the Be Healthy Burleson campaign and laid a foundation for health and wellness throughout the community. However, city reach can only go so far, which is why the Be Healthy Burleson campaign partners with dozens of hospitals, coalitions, schools, non-profits, private industries and faith-based organizations to connect with citizens of all ages. Starting inside the City’s scope with parks, hiking and biking trails and municipal programs, and moving outward with large scale partnerships, including community runs, field days, health fairs and educational seminars, the Be Healthy Burleson campaign continues its mission for a more educated, active, healthy and fun city.
Chester, Pennsylvania
Let’s Move! Chester, an initiative of the Chester Bureau of Health, has strengthened community health and wellness partnerships across the City of Chester since August 2012. The foundation of the Healthy Chester Coalition, made possible through Chester’s designation as a Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) City by the White House, created a basis for a comprehensive strategy to improve community health. Several initiatives designed to promote healthy snack food options in municipal and school vending machines and free preventative screenings have developed into a community movement resulting in the achievement of five LMCTC gold medals. The City’s public-private partnerships with a multitude of integral anchor institutions, including Vision Service Plan, NBA Star Tyreke Evans, Chester Boys and Girls Club, Crozer Keystone, Keystone First, Widener University, Ches-Penn, Rocky Run YMCA, Health Partners, Kidz Partners, the Food Trust, Chester Housing Authority, Gateway Health, Chester Department of Parks, Public Property and Recreation and the Chester-Upland School District, have resulted in a healthier and more connected Chester with the resources to facilitate even more progress.
Columbia, South Carolina
The City of Columbia is committed to empowering all citizens to be active, eat healthy and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. Under the leadership of Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine and Columbia’s First Lady, the Honorable DeAndrea Benjamin, the City has held various events to promote Let’s Move! including game days, basketball and dance camps, cooking classes for youth, an end-of-school bash, an Easter Egg Hunt, bike rides and more. Through special events, public service announcements, social media, newsletters, community gardens and a TV show on City TV, the City actively promotes the importance of being physical daily and incorporating healthy food options at every meal.
Columbus, Ohio
Mayor Michael B. Coleman has led America’s 15th largest city in great strides to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating. Art Walks, new parks, Safe Routes to School programs and new bicycle infrastructure provide a health-focused lens for city departments to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Thanks to best practices in land use, the City is home to more than 250 community gardens. A network of farmer’s markets and incentive programs have increased access to fresh produce for all residents. Columbus Public Health has also worked with more than 100 child care centers to engage parents, provide training and support 400 new polices by child care centers for physical activity, screen time and nutritious menus. In addition, a key partnership with Columbus Public Schools resulted in universal school breakfast and lunch, expanded summer feeding locations and healthier vending.
Fontana, California
The City of Fontana makes the health of its residents a key priority! Mayor Acquanetta Warren joined the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties initiative in 2012, ensuring the City’s continued commitment to building a healthy and sustainable community. The City partners with the Fontana Unified School District to provide children with access to free lunches and snacks throughout the summer, serving over 119,000 healthy summer meals and snacks. Free physical activity and nutrition programs are offered throughout the City at Summer Food Program sites, offering MyPlate education and 60+ minutes of active play for children. Another area of emphasis is early care and education programs. Training for childcare facility staff is offered yearly to ensure proper nutrition and daily physical activity to develop healthy lifelong habits for infants and toddlers. The City of Fontana is proud to be a part of the LMCTC initiative and to be the first city in California to achieve all five LMCTC gold medals!
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins has institutionalized the goals of Let’s Move! through ongoing programs and sustained partnerships. The City’s successes include diverse and inclusive recreational opportunities, a robust multi-use trail system and natural areas program, an award-winning culture of bicycling, dozens of community food producers, and strong partnerships between government, educational providers and non-profits. Fort Collins and its partners have identified that pockets of their community suffer from health disparities, especially Latino and low-income residents. The City has acted as a convener of key community partners in promoting health and health equity. Efforts in 2014 include improving access to produce for low-income communities through the Garden of Eatin’ at the Gardens on Spring Creek and the work being done at the Northside Aztlan Community Center to engage low-income Latinos in active living opportunities. Fort Collins recently updated its Land Use Code to permit urban agriculture in all zone districts, allow farmer’s markets in more zone districts, and allow a greater number and types of animals to be raised by residents. The cumulative impact of the community’s efforts is the creation of a sustainable culture where the healthiest choice is the easiest choice for all residents.
Greenbelt, Maryland
Recreation programming is very important to those who live, work or play in Greenbelt. Beginning in 2007, with the support of City Council, City Staff and innovative programming and partnerships, Greenbelt launched its Get Active, Greenbelt program for the community, in addition to an employee wellness program titled Be Healthy, Be Happy. Get Active, Greenbelt includes working with the local elementary and pre-schools in educating on healthy eating and active living; providing healthy snacks at Greenbelt camps; programs offering free produce throughout the community; a farmer’s market offered on a weekly basis for seven months out of the year; and special events encouraging family participation in fitness hosted by the recreation department. In addition, Greenbelt recently adopted a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. Greenbelt looks forward to continuing their efforts to build a healthier America.
Jersey City, New Jersey
In 2013, Jersey City’s new mayor, Steven Fulop, tasked the City’s Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to spearhead a city-wide push for fitness initiatives. The Mayor’s Partnership for a Healthier JC and the #healthierJC brand were established soon after. The LMCTC program provided a solid, comprehensive set of goals for the City to aspire to. In 2014, HHS contacted 108 Jersey City childcare centers, doing Let’s Move! presentations at every location wishing to participate. Mayor Fulop tripled funding for parks and open space, including $1.4 million for the completion of 15+ acre Berry Lane Park, which will include Hudson County’s largest skate park. In August, the Dr. Oz Show hosted a free Heart Health clinic in Jersey City, kicking off a “Know Your Numbers” campaign. In September, Women’s Health Magazine recognized Jersey City as one of the top 5 fittest cities in the nation. In October, the City Council formally committed to include healthy food options in all vending machines on City property.
Kenmore, Washington
Since the City of Kenmore incorporated in 1998, the City has made family and children a priority. In 2009, Family Circle Magazine named Kenmore one of the top 10 cities in the country to raise a family. Kenmore has devoted a substantial part of its resources to outdoor activities for the entire family, including the development of recreational canoe, kayak, crew, and dragon boat programs. Kenmore is also a Playful City USA Community, as designated by KaBOOM!. Kenmore works closely with the Northshore School District to ensure children have healthy food choices available and teaches a Let’s Move! Child Care provider class each year. Kenmore has also partnered with the YMCA to provide free lunches to over 30 children during the summer. The City is particularly proud of the community involvement process in the design and development of city parks, and has built three playgrounds using the community build process.
Knox County and Knoxville, Tennessee
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero have collaborated on their LMCTC efforts with a great payoff: achievement of five LMCTC gold medals. Knox County and Knoxville have mapped all recreation amenities, including their combined 131 miles of trails and approximately 5,000 acres of parks, and have promoted these amenities in print, on the web and in signage on greenways to increase use. Additionally, they have teamed up to form a 10-Year Park & Greenway Master Plan. The Knox Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity, Knox County Health Department (KCHD) and Knox County Schools Coordinated School Health are working to strategically help youth achieve active lifestyles through initiatives like the Walking School Bus and Kids Can Bike programs. Seeking to create healthy environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice, the KCHD and local afterschool programs developed the N.E.A.T. (Nutrition Education Activity Training) Approved designation. This designation requires afterschool providers to incorporate environment and policy changes that apply to the afterschool program and program staff. To date, 11 YMCA afterschool programs in Knox County have adopted the N.E.A.T. Approved designation.
Lincoln, Nebraska
Health is a priority for Lincoln, Nebraska, and Mayor Chris Buetler recognizes it is essential to the well-being and vitality of the community. Lincoln is proud to be recognized for its 128 miles of trails and its 125 parks on 6,000 acres of public land providing the foundation for an active community. The City signed on to LMCTC in 2011 to rally the community around a collaborative effort of reducing childhood obesity. Since then, Lincoln has achieved all five gold medals. This has been accomplished by organizing more than 30 community partners around the 5-4-3-2-1 Go! countdown message, which utilizes a positive, healthy lifestyles branding strategy aimed at improving children’s food choices and physical activity. Collaborative efforts have provided partners the support needed to implement policies that directly benefit children and families. The systemic changes being adopted by family-serving organizations including schools, recreation centers, community centers and child care providers are leading to healthy behavior changes in Lincoln.
Linn County, Iowa
Linn County, Iowa recently became the first community in Iowa to earn gold medals in all five LMCTC goals. Linn County is the second most populous county in Iowa and a vibrant center for arts, culture, and medical services. A diverse array of partners work collaboratively to increase physical activity opportunities and improve access to affordable, healthy foods across the county. Linn County is proud of recent accomplishments, including a new multi-generational playground completed by KaBOOM!, Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation, Humana and Jane Boyd with the help of over 200 volunteers, as well as an expanded summer meals program. Linn County is also home to two Blue Zones Project demonstration sites, Cedar Rapids and Marion. The recently adopted complete streets policy in Cedar Rapids and comprehensive trails plan in Marion will help support residents being physically active and moving naturally. Together, communities across Linn County are working to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Orlando, Florida
Let’s Move Orlando is led by Mayor Buddy Dyer and implemented by the City’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department (FPR). FPR’s children’s programs provide a robust platform for health and wellness. Orlando’s 47 playgrounds helped the City become one of the 16 founding cities to receive Playful City USA designation by KaBOOM!. Orlando also promotes healthy eating. Thousands of children participate daily, year round, in FPR’s afterschool and summer programs. The programs are enhanced with health/wellness enrichments. For example, 2,400 afterschool program participants received nutrition and healthy cooking education this year. Through the Federal Summer and Afterschool Meal Programs, 194,252 meals were served to children last year, all of which met federal healthy and sustainable food service guidelines. The City also encourages residents to plant community gardens at parks throughout the City. When it comes to children under the age of 5, the City has robust partnerships with early learning providers. At recreation centers, the Early Learning Coalition offers the “PKZ Baby Institute” and Head Start offers Nemours “5,2,1 Almost None.” Both programs teach parents about healthy eating and the importance of physical activity. The City is excited to continue these important efforts.
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a city that focuses on fitness that benefits residents, tourists, visitors and businesses. In Palm Springs people experience a bike and pedestrian friendly town that has developed city-sponsored health and wellness programs including hiking, running, swimming and biking events that are held year round. The City of Palm Springs partners with local schools, community groups, neighborhood associations, service organizations and many not-for-profits including Desert Healthcare Foundation and the Clinton Foundation to promote health and wellness for people of all ages. The City hosts an annual Mayor’s Healthy Planet, Healthy You 5k and 10 mile running event and has added two swimming events the afternoon of race day. In 2015 the race will be held on January 17th and will be followed by a Clinton Day of Action held on January 24th that includes bicycle rack installations and the planting of an orchard. The City has also developed Cycledelic, an evening bike event that promotes alternative transportation and nighttime bike safety.
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael and the City Council incorporated LMCTC as part of Healthy Rancho Cucamonga (Healthy RC), a comprehensive, community-driven initiative dedicated to encouraging healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Healthy RC has sparked a cultural shift, putting health at the forefront and transforming the way the City does business. Through a Health-In-All-Policies approach, the City has adopted several innovative strategies to increase access to healthy food and physical activity including a Complete Streets Policy ranked top 10 in the nation, a Community Gardens Policy that modified zoning to include all residential areas and waived city fees, and a Farmer’s Market Policy that requires 75% of all products sold meet healthy food guidelines. The City has developed resident leadership programs for youth and adults to build their capacity by providing them with the skills and resources they need to participate in the policymaking process.
Richton Park, Illinois
The Village of Richton Park has been a part of Let’s Move! since 2012. Village President Richard Reinbold adopted this initiative to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle for the residents and children of the community. Since its conception, this program has gained momentum village-wide. Recreational programs, schools, restaurants and places of worship have all made the transition of integrating the many facets of physical activity and healthy food options. The Village of Richton Park is the proud recipient of The Carol White Physical Education and Nutrition Grant through the US Department of Education, which serves over 3,450 students. In partnering with surrounding school districts, this grant allows youth to participate in basketball, volleyball, soccer, dance, cheerleading and martial arts, making sure physical activity is a part of their everyday lives. This LMCTC recognition reflects the dedication, hard work, and team effort from not only the Parks and Recreation Staff, but the Village as a whole.
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville’ slogan is “Get Into It!”, and they surely have shown this with their commitment to physical fitness and health. This year in addition to being recognized as a Playful City USA Community, Rockville was ranked “One of the Best Places to Live” by Money Magazine, due to its ample parkland, giving the community great opportunities for outdoor activities. The Rockville Mayor and Council recently passed a proclamation supporting Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) initiatives and pledged to provide safe drinking water, improve biking facilities and offer low-cost afterschool and summer programs to children. Rockville has taken its messaging to the web, out on the playgrounds, and into the community, spreading its good news of health and wellness city-wide. Rockville’s ongoing Let’s Move! efforts include partnering with BirdsEye to provide free vegetable servings at the City’s baseball park, offering free yoga in the park for families, teaching children’s cooking classes and camps, supporting four community gardens and insuring that at least 80% of all recreation programs offered include a physical activity or nutrition education component. The City of Rockville is committed to empowering its citizens, youth and adults alike, to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Somerville, Massachusetts
Shape Up Somerville is a 15 year-old strategy to build and sustain a healthy community in collaboration with partners for everyone that lives, works in and visits the city. Shape Up Somerville has since continued to evolve as a comprehensive approach to build and support community-wide health, health equity and social justice for all. As a part of Shape Up Somerville, innovative and ground breaking wellness policies, practices and environmental changes have been adopted in Somerville schools and among early care and education providers. Shape Up Somerville has worked collaboratively with over 100 multi-sector partners at the local, state and federal levels. Mayor Joseph Curtatone has directed efforts to add 30 miles of new/improved bike lanes, improve 17 parks and add four new parks; adopt a comprehensive Complete Streets Ordinance; adopt an urban agriculture ordinance; expand the healthy restaurant program; and bring mobile farmers market with affordable, local produce to low-income residents. These initiatives have encouraged all families to lead a healthy lifestyle by making the healthy choice the easy choice.