For Immediate Release: November 15, 2010
Contact: Donald Sico 856-314-8066 or Emily Littman 609-393-4931
BERGEN COUNTY BOROUGH HONORED FOR PARTICIPATION
IN MAYORS WELLNESS CAMPAIGN
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey – The Borough of Upper Saddle River and its Mayor Ken Gabbert, were honored today by the Mayors Wellness Campaign as one of only 10 communities in the state to receive designation as a “New Jersey Healthy Town.” Upper Saddle River
received the designation for its strong and active participation in the Mayors Wellness Campaign.
“We are thrilled to recognize the efforts of Mayor Gabbert and Upper Saddle River to promote active living and healthy lifestyles through the Mayors Wellness Campaign,” said Emily Littman, Mayors Wellness Campaign Director. “Our statewide effort, which now involves more
than half of all New Jersey towns, is beginning to pay dividends.”
“Putting our community in motion towards better health is one of our top priorities,” said Mayor Gabbert. “The recognition as a New Jersey Healthy Town speaks volumes about our community’s commitment to better health.”
The Borough of Upper Saddle River received the “Healthy Town” designation for meeting the following requirements:
The Borough of Upper Saddle River has instituted numerous wellness programs including:
Youth in Motion
Seniors in Motion
Community in Motion
Employers in Motion
Other towns who have received the MWC “Healthy Town” designation are Bridgewater, Clifton, Fair Lawn, Hamilton Township (Mercer County), Hillsborough, Madison, Nutley, Parsippany, and Woodbridge.
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.
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