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YMCA of the USA,
the national resource office for the nation’s 2,686 YMCAs, announced that
St. Clair County has been selected to join
Activate America®:
Pioneering Healthier Communities—a
major component of the YMCA’s national effort to provide opportunities for
people of all ages in their pursuit of health and well-being in spirit,
mind and body. St. Clair County was one of 18 communities named, and
becomes one of 92 communities nationwide to participate in initiatives
focused on collaborative engagement with community leaders, how
environments influence health and well-being, and the role public policy
plays in sustaining change.
Combined with those already engaged in the project, these newly named
communities are forming the foundation of an aggressive social movement
that is mobilizing leaders in local communities to respond to the public
health challenge of obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition.
Through this project, launched five years ago, local YMCAs are serving in
partnership with high-level representatives from the government,
non-profit, and private sectors to drive meaningful change in each of
their communities. The YMCA of Southwest Illinois applied for this program
as part of the St. Clair County ‘Get Up & Go!’ Initiative – a county wide
health and fitness campaign for groups, organizations and communities in
the St. Clair County area. The application is funded through the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and was selected after a competitive
review process. The “Get Up & Go!’ campaign began as a grassroots
county-wide initiative to build healthy and connected communities through
a variety of self-selected health and fitness activities. Since the
campaign was initiated through its website at
www.getupgo.info by members of the St. Clair County Health Care
Commission last spring, over 110 groups representing nearly 23,000 people
have joined in to inspire their members and others to get proactive about
health and fitness.
“Being named as one of the Pioneering Healthier Communities for 2008 has
given us the opportunity to partner with great local organizations to
bring the community together with the main goal of instilling health and
wellness where we live and work,” said Jorge Perez, CEO/President of the
YMCA of Southwest Illinois.
“The
Pioneering Healthier Communities’ team-based approach allows communities
to provide a cohesive response to the lifestyle challenges facing our
nation,” said Neil Nicoll, president and chief executive officer, YMCA of
the
USA. “By connecting the leaders who can affect change, communities are
helping to make healthy behaviors an easier choice, not just the healthier
choice. These improved opportunities for physical activity and healthy
eating are laying a foundation to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases
that have taken such a serious toll on our community members.”
“Through
the ‘Get Up & Go!’ Campaign, we are seeing an unprecedented spirit of
collaboration and cooperation by a variety of community based
organizations,” said Mark Peters, Director of Community Health for the St.
Clair County Health Department. “It is encouraging to see these
organizations and their communities come together to share resources and
expertise that inspire the citizens of our county to work together for
their health.”
2008 Pioneering Healthier Communities
YMCAs in 18 communities across the country are convening local leaders
this year to respond to public health challenges: Birmingham, AL; Hot
Springs, AR; Oakland, CA; Savannah, GA; St. Clair County, IL; Indianapolis
(Lawrence); IN; Topeka, KS; Worcester, MA; Red Wing, MN; Neosho, MO;
Winston-Salem, NC; Livingston, NJ; Cincinnati, OH; Marietta, OH;
Nashville, TN; Port Arthur, TX; Burlington, VT; and West Bend, WI.
Early Community Successes
Communities involved in PHC are focused on various local challenges
ranging from devising ways to excite youth and older adults about physical
activity, supporting employees in their pursuit of health and well-being,
and improving school nutrition to enhancing the environment to allow for
more opportunities for activity and access to healthy foods, and
influencing relevant public policy.
Pioneering Healthier Communities teams are:
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Influencing policy makers to provide opportunities for kids to be
physically active before, during and after the school day.
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Building new or enhancing existing walking/biking trails and sidewalks
for community members to be active;
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Working with employers to provide workplaces that support healthy eating
and activity; and
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Providing opportunities for residents to purchase and consume fresh
fruits and vegetables through community-gardens, farmers markets, and
other activities.
What’s
Next for the 2008 Pioneering Healthier Communities
Following the model of the 2004-2007 communities, the St. Clair County
initiative will compose a team consisting of approximately 10 local
leaders, including elected officials, state and local directors of public
health organizations, business leaders from various industries, and
leaders of local schools, parks and recreation departments, foundations,
and hospitals. This team will join with the other 17 teams, nationwide,
and convene at the Pioneering Healthier Communities national conference
December 10 - 12 in
Washington,
D.C. This fifth-annual conference will focus on educating these community
leaders about strategies and models for bringing about community solutions
that have been replicated nationwide. At the conference, attendees learn
about evidence-based approaches to affecting change from nationally known
experts. In the past, experts have included Dr. Julie Gerberding,
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sally Squires
formerly of The Washington Post, author of “The Lean Plate Club;” Mark
Fenton, contributing editor of Health magazine and a PBS TV series host;
Dr. Ken Thorpe, Executive Director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic
Disease; Tyler Norris, co-founder of Community Initiatives; Roberto
Salazar, Administrator of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food and
Nutrition Service; and Dr. Jeffrey Levi, Executive Director of Trust for
America’s Health.
Pioneering Healthier Communities is funded through a cooperative agreement
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 2004,
this critical initiative has also received generous support from Kellogg’s
Corporate Citizenship Fund, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, PepsiCo
Foundation, Aquafina, JCPenney Afterschool Fund and Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
For
more information about Pioneering Healthier Communities go to
www.ymca.net/activateamerica
For
more information about the “Get Up & Go!” Campaign go to
www.getupgo.info |
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The
Get Up & Go! Spirit Award
Starting in November – the
Get Up & Go! Campaign would like to dedicate a portion of its website to
recognize and honor those groups and organizations who best demonstrate
the spirit of collaboration and dedication to health and fitness which has
made this campaign such a success during its first year.
As we turn our attention
to the holiday season and reflect upon all that we are thankful for, our
Board of Directors wish to say thanks to the many groups, organizations
and communities that have worked together to inspire its members to live a
healthy and active life. Many of you have sent us your comments, ideas
and activities and even invited some of our volunteers to share in your
group’s success by participating with you and welcoming us into your
community. These experiences have energized us and the entire campaign in
ways beyond measure as we continue to count what you do, knowing that what
you do counts.
As a token of appreciation
for helping to inspire others to live a healthy and active life, we would
like to highlight select groups and their members each month through the
“Get Up & Go! Spirit Award.” This recognition, awarded by our
volunteer Board of Directors, is given to those groups who best exemplify
the ‘Get Up & Go!’ collaborative spirit of improving health and fitness
within their community.
Click here to see our first Spirit Award recipient.
Help us to keep the spirit
alive!
We’re looking for
nominations for future “Get Up & Go! Spirit Awards.”
Tell us your story!
If you belong to a group
or organization whose members are dedicated to helping each other improve
the quality of their live through activities that promote health and
fitness, we want to count what you do.
Who knows? It might just
inspire others to do their part to improve the overall health of our
communities.
For more information on
how your group or activity can become part of the “Get Up & Go! Spirit
Award,”
click here or
email us at
info@getupgo.info with your questions or nominations.
Note:
Please be sure to include a group representative name and contact
information, the name and location of your group or organization, and a
brief description of your health and fitness activity.
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