Cedar Falls and Waterloo were presented a Healthy HometownSM POWERED BY Wellmark award at the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Bringing it Home conference on November 1, 2016. The award recognizes the Cedar Valley for their dedication and accomplishments toward meaningful health improvement initiatives in their community.
Some noteworthy achievements in Cedar Falls include:
- Integrating brain breaks in the schools as well as removing pop machines and unhealthy food fundraisers.
- Building a new pedestrian bridge that connected residential areas with retailers, schools and workplaces.
- Achieving a 20 percent increase in volunteering among employees at John Deere PEC.
- Passing land protection policies that pave the way for healthy eating via farmers’ markets and community gardens.
More information about the Healthy Hometown program, including the assessment and resources, is available at: www.iowahealthieststate.com. The Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. By engaging worksites, communities, schools, retail food, organizations, institutions and individuals, we can inspire Iowans and their communities to improve their health and happiness, and ultimately achieve our goal.
Pictured in the image with the Governor and Lt. Governor is Mayor Jon Crews and Sue Beach.