WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) today announced the winners of 2012 Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards during the 80th Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. The awards went to cities with outstanding programs that encourage healthy weight through balanced diet choices and regular physical activity. The following cities were recognized for their mayoral-based initiatives:
* Louisville, KY Allentown
* PA Lima, OH
* Houston, TX
* Las Cruces, NM
* Patterson, LA
This grant program is the result of a partnership between the USCM and the American Beverage Association (ABA) with the goal supporting and/or enhancing mayors’ ongoing childhood obesity prevention programs in their cities. The program also includes a national public awareness campaign, and will connect mayors with innovative, cost-effective program strategies to successfully reduce childhood obesity in their cities.
“We are extremely grateful for this partnership with the American Beverage Association which will allow communities across the country to expand the reach of education and obesity awareness programs to thousands of additional young people,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “At a time when communities are in need of additional funding, this support will produce tangible benefits for thousands of families.”
The grant awards are divided into categories for small, medium and large cities for both first place and second place honors. An independent panel of judges met in Washington, D.C. to evaluate the programs based on innovativeness, creativity, replicability and potential impact.
“We’re proud to be working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors on this initiative because of the positive impact it will have on families nationwide,” said Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association. “We’re particularly excited to be growing community programs that are centered on reducing and preventing obesity throughout the country.”
The partnership with USCM builds upon long-standing work by the non-alcoholic beverage industry to support nutrition education for children, strengthen communities and empower consumers. It is another public-private partnership dedicated to making a real difference.
For more information, please see a listing of program descriptions for the winning cities below.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,210 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Find us at usmayors.org, on facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.
The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. For more information on ABA, please visit the association’s website at www.ameribev.org or call the ABA communications team at (202) 463-6770.
Large City
1st Place ($150,000) – Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer’s “Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement” To support their Louisville Youth Advocates Program, a group of 50 young people who have assessed community needs will use that information to become advocates for change as well as young entrepreneurs by creating businesses that provide fresh fruits and vegetables to their “Health in a Hurry” corner store initiative.
2nd Place ($25,000) – Houston (TX) Mayor Annise Parker’s “Recipe for Success”
The award will support their Rolling Green Market Initiative, a van that travels the city providing fresh produce to food desserts.
Medium City
1st Place ($120,000) – Allentown (PA) Mayor Ed Pawlowski’s “Fruits and Veggies on the Move”
A variation on the ice cream truck theme. A branded truck, loaded with fruits and vegetables, would travel to playgrounds and recreation sites throughout the city and offer free fruits and veggies to kids.
2nd Place ($25,000) – Las Cruces (NM) Mayor Ken D. Miyagishima’s “Mayor’s 5-2-1-0 Fitness and Nutrition Challenge”
The Mayor travels to every third grade class in the city (3rd grade was selected because the children are old enough to comprehend the challenge and young enough to make lifestyle changes relatively easily). The Mayor challenges the students to do four things every day for the next 21 days (according to the applicant, it takes 21 days to change/break a habit): eat 5 servings of fruits/vegetables, devote no more than 2 hours to screen time (TV, computer, video games); exercise for one hour every day.
Small City
1st Place ($100,000) – Lima (OH) Mayor David Berger’s “Healthy Living Hubs”
Healthy Living Hubs have been established in three selected neighborhoods that are high poverty food deserts. Children and families living in and around these hubs will be provided with fitness classes, access to fresh produce via food-mobile, nutrition classes, and more.
2nd Place ($25,000) – Patterson (LA) Mayor Rodney Grogan’s “Mayor Takes it to the Streets” Creation of a farmer’s market accessible to low-income residents, improvement of play spaces and recreational facilities, and PSA campaigns that support healthy food choices and breastfeeding by new mothers, among other activities.
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Website: http://usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/2012/ABAGRANTAWARDS_011812.pdf