For Immediate Release
Contact: Donald Sico 609-351-3591 or Judy Doyle 609-393-4931
MORRIS COUNTY TOWN HONORED FOR PARTICIPATION IN MAYORS WELLNESS CAMPAIGN
Madison, New Jersey – Madison Borough and its Mayor Woody Kerkeslager today were honored by the Mayors Wellness Campaign as only the second community in the state to receive designation as a “New Jersey Healthy Town.” Madison Borough received the designation for its strong and active participation in the Mayors Wellness Campaign.
“We are delighted to recognize the efforts of Mayor Kerkeslager and Madison Borough to promote active living and healthy lifestyles through the Mayors Wellness Campaign,” said Judy Doyle, Mayors Wellness Campaign Director. “Our statewide effort, which now involves more than 200 New Jersey towns, is beginning to pay dividends.”
“Putting our community in motion towards better health is one of our top priorities in Madison,” said Madison Mayor Woody Kerkeslager, as he accepted the designation. “This recognition speaks volumes about our community’s commitment to better health.”
Madison Township received the “Healthy Town” designation for meeting the following:
The Mayors Wellness Campaign’s new “Healthy Town” designation is being funded by a $100,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation.
“Aetna is thrilled to play a role in this new effort to promote active living and healthy lifestyles in New Jersey,” said Patrick Young, President, Aetna Small and Middle Markets. “We hope to make a real difference in the everyday lives of New Jersey residents.”
The Mayors Wellness Campaign is an initiative of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (www.njhcqi.org) in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities (www.njslom.org). The MWC supports mayors as champions of community health. The goal is to increase opportunities for New Jersey residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of reducing health care costs secondary to obesity. Through public-private partnerships, the MWC provides structure and resources for healthy community initiatives. By encouraging mayors to play a leadership role in supporting local opportunities for active, healthy lifestyles, the intent of the MWC is to improve health and make New Jersey a national leader in community-based health interventions. In 2006, each of the 566 mayors in New Jersey’s municipalities were mailed the MWC “Toolbox,” a manual designed to guide them through the implementation of wellness programs in their communities. Broken down into four major sections – Youth in Motion; Employees in Motion; Seniors in Motion; and Communities in Motion – the Toolbox outlines programs that can be directly used in every community in New Jersey. The Toolbox can also be found on the MWC website at www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org.
