Cities Celebrate the 4th Anniversary of Let's Move!
Throughout the month of February, communities across the country have been celebrating the 4th Anniversary of Let’s Move! with fun events, proclamations and exciting announcements. Check out how cities have celebrated below:
The City of St. Louis, Mo. Department of Health’s Let’s Move! STL hosted their annual So You Got MOVES Expo February 8 in the Carondelet Recreation Complex and O’Fallon Park Rec Complex. Attended by over 400, the event featured an open gym, swimming, tumbling and dance, double-dutch jump rope, group performances, fitness activities, free health assessments, healthy snacks, cooking demos, crafts and raffle prizes. Organizations involved included St. Louis University’s Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Saint Louis Public Schools, City Greens, HopeBUILD, Trailnet, St. Louis County Health, St. Louis City Recreation Centers, LiveWell STL and the Saint Louis Public Library. At the direction of St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, Let’s Move! STL is a regional effort to get individuals moving and reduce obesity throughout the area. The initiative strives to reduce the rate of obesity in the city by 5% by 2018.
Zumba at the Let’s Move! STL So you got MOVES Expo
Revere, Mass. hosted their first annual Healthy Eating Week from Sunday, February 16 to Saturday, February 22 with Revere on the Move, a community-led collaboration between the City of Revere and Revere CARES that works to make healthy choices around food and physical activity readily available and accessible in Revere. This event served as a launch for the City’s Healthy Market and Healthy Dining initiatives, which are voluntary commitments from markets and restaurants to serve healthier food items. So far, four markets and ten restaurants have signed up to participate! On February 18, Revere hosted a taste testing and showcased participating restaurants and markets. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Mass in Motion attended as Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo presented certificates to participating businesses. During the City Council Proclamation, Revere on the Move also commemorated the 4th anniversary of the Let’s Move! campaign. Revere has received four gold medals and one bronze for its efforts towards healthier living through Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties. Revere on the Move is a Mass in Motion Initiative, funded in part by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo presents a local restaurant representative with a certificate in recognition of the new healthy choices offered.
Urbana, Ill. produced a music video, “Let’s Move! in the Garden” in celebration of both the 4th anniversary of Let’s Move! and a successful first year of operation of the Lierman Neighborhood Community Garden. The garden is a cooperative effort between the City of Urbana and the Lierman Neighborhood Action Committee. Let’s Move! Urbana helped advocate for establishing the garden and supported children’s activities in it last year. With the help of 70 volunteers, the garden supplied produce to 555 people in 209 households in 2013. The garden song, performed in the video, was written and choreographed by neighborhood resident Lizzie M. Duckworth Carter and performed by neighborhood residents, including three teens and two adults who also volunteer in the garden. The video was filmed by Urbana Public Television, the local public access channel.
Hamden, Conn. celebrated the anniversary by holding a Let’s Move! Wellness Fair on February 1 at Dunbar Hill High School. The Fair focused on healthy family living and included information on nutrition, physical activity, safety, healthy practices, and resources for good health from over 40 organizations. There were also interactive dance and exercise demonstrations and even a “Make your own fruit kabobs” station! Partners for the event included the Town of Hamden, the Hamden Youth Services Bureau, Hamden’s Partnership for Young Children and Hamden Public Schools.
Kids make fruit kabobs at the Hamden Let’s Move! Wellness Fair
The City of Houston, Tex. issued a proclamation declaring Feb 9, 2014 Let’s Move! Day, saying “First Lady Michelle Obama believes that many of the best, most innovative and effective solutions start at the local level.” Houston is one of the leaders across the country that is pledging to adopt sustainable and holistic approaches that improve communities’ access to healthy affordable food and opportunities for physical activity.
The Town of Agawam, Mass. celebrated the 4th Anniversary of Let’s Move! with a series of organized activities, including a “Mommy and Me” Yoga Class for 2-4 year olds, sponsored by their local YMCA, Town Library, and Stop & Shop supermarket. The class includes a trip to a local market to sample healthy foods from various food departments.
To learn more about other events and announcements related to the 4th year anniversary of Let’s Move! visit: www.letsmove.gov.