Summaries of Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties Local Achievements
The Special White House Event on July 10 was an opportunity to highlight innovative practices and partnerships occurring in cities, towns and counties across the country. Local elected officials across the U.S. have engaged new stakeholders, and harnessed existing assets to improve the health of their communities.
Highlighted at the White House were Moscow, ID Mayor Nancy Chaney; Missoula County, MT Commissioner Jean Curtiss; Casa Grande, AZ Mayor Bob Jackson; Hernando, MS Mayor Chip Johnson; Chester, PA Mayor John Linder; Sabina, OH Mayor David Michael; and Knoxville, TN Mayor Madeline Rogero.
Moscow, Idaho Mayor Nancy Chaney envisions Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties as linking officials from government with parents, caregivers, healthcare professionals, school leaders, faith- and community-based organizations, and the business community. In her community in northern Idaho, that manifests itself through Bike for Life Month and it shows up in the summer lunch program line in a local park. Enthusiastic grade-schoolers participate in the annual Polar Walk sponsored by Safe Routes to School and Moscow’s City Hall serves as an art gallery that hosts children’s exhibits on themes such as “I love my bike!” The public has come to expect that planning in Moscow connects people and places with sidewalks, bike trails, and complete streets to enable their active modes of transportation and active lifestyles. Mayor Chaney feels her City’s role includes encouraging community gardens, local foods distribution systems, SNAP benefits at farmers markets, and outreach and education about healthful choices.
Missoula County, Montana Commissioner Jean Curtiss (panelist) and Missoula, Montana Councilmember Caitlin Copple created Let’s Move! Missoula with the mission to reduce and prevent childhood obesity in Missoula County while enhancing the health and well-being of all its residents. A priority for the County and City was to ensure a community-led strategy, and as such, its development and implementation is underway thanks to a wide variety of community stakeholders including Community Medical Center, Chamber of Commerce, Missoula County Public Schools, YMCA, Missoula Parks & Recreation, University of Montana, and United Way, among others. The Let’s Move! Missoula Summit to Prevent Childhood Obesity, held in September 2012, brought five national experts and over 200 community members to prioritize policies and programs. Already, the County and City have adopted healthier standards for all vending and concession contracts in public places. Students have increased opportunities to be physically active thanks to a joint use agreement between the school district and parks department that opens the school gym free programming for 4th and 5th graders. Additionally, all 6th graders are offered a free year membership to the YMCA. This community-driven initiative has allowed for sustainable change in Missoula by bringing all partners together and invested in one strategy.
Casa Grande, Arizona, Mayor Robert Jackson saw the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties initiative as a way to motivate community members to participate in “Steps to a Healthier Casa Grande,” a citywide program that encourages families to “Get Up and Move”. Mayor Jackson firmly believes today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generation and he is dedicated to developing city programs and amenities that provide space for residents of all ages to walk, bike, run and play safely. Working to complete 18 miles of hiking trails on Casa Grande mountain through an all-volunteer effort, hosting the Annual Day of Playtopia event, mapping the city’s playspaces, and having a great partnership with the local school district have assisted the City of Casa Grande to be recognized as a “Playful City” by KaBOOM! for the last five years. Casa Grande has earned Gold Medals for two of the LMCTC goals, Goal IV: Model Food Service and Goal V: Active Kids at Play.
Hernando, Mississippi Mayor Chip Johnson (panelist) has used policies, programs and partnership to help accomplish the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties goals. Hernando was named the Healthiest Hometown in Mississippi in 2010 by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, and received $50,000 from the Foundation to overlay a dilapidated walking track that has become one of the most popular sites for activity in the city. Additionally, the City has been named a Playful City USA by KaBOOM! for four consecutive years and participates in the Safe Routes to School program. An early care and education program is giving families an educational boost with a referral center and professional development programs focused on health and safety. Patrons of the city’s award-winning farmers market can now peruse the MyPlate guidelines posted in the Bistro area to help them make shopping decisions and can participate in the new Fit and Fresh exercise program each Saturday. At last count, the city drew nine fundraising 5K races and two bike races to the town as the result of its culture of health.
The City of Chester, Pennsylvania adopted the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties framework in order for Mayor John Linder (panelist) and Chester City Council to place an emphasis on reducing childhood obesity and promoting nutrition within Chester homes, schools and communities. With initiatives led by the Chester Bureau of Health, the city established a network of key partnerships with healthcare providers, health and human services agencies, recreation agencies, local businesses, and community and faith-based organizations. These partnerships are creating and promoting health programs and are both expanding and mapping their parks system to ensure a safe play environment. Chester offers health and wellness programs engaging children and parents in activities that will encourage family recreation, physical activity and healthy eating habits. Nearly one year since the Let’s Move! kick-off, the city is proud to have earned medals from National League of Cities in all five Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties goal categories.
Sabina, Ohio Mayor David Michael and Let’s Move! Coordinator Tanya Carey are dedicated to making sure that children and parents in the East Clinton School District and Village of Sabina (population 2,564) have access to information on healthy eating, being physically active and addressing childhood obesity. A Let’s Move! page is being developed on the Village’s website, and a Let’s Move! communications center is being designated in the municipal building. Additionally, the Village posted MyPlate signage in the schools and at all Village recreational facilities, as well as food service areas where possible. The municipality held a Mayor’s Walk with the students at Sabina Elementary that turned into a walk-a-thon with all kinds of activities that the students enjoyed. As a follow up, Mayor Michael is continuing activities for the children of Sabina, such as a school garden and a Walking School Bus. Construction of a seven mile section of bike trail will begin this fall. The Village is also promoting walking and riding bikes to school and improving the safety of those routes. The Village’s goal with this work is “to build a better Sabina.”
Knox County, Tennessee Mayor Tim Burchett and Knoxville, Tennessee Mayor Madeline Rogero (panelist) have collaborated on their Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties efforts with a great payoff: They are currently ranked #1 in medal achievements on the LMCTC goals. To achieve these goals, 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 and Knox County Schools Coordinated School Health are working to strategically help youth achieve active lifestyles, such as the Walking School Bus and Kids Can Bike programs. Both Mayor Burchett and Mayor Rogero have said that bringing in Knox County Schools was an important partner to their success as a community.