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“I’m proud of what we have accomplished, making our community healthier. We have opened or renovated more than 70 acres of new parkland. We are opening community gardens at day-care centers. We are home to North America’s largest fuel cell, which powers 15,000 homes with clean energy,” said Finch. “And, we’ll soon be home to thousands of solar panels and another fuel cell atop an old and unused landfill.
“We are committed to lead the nation by example, and we are doing just that."
The Park City hosts 46 parks covering nearly 1,356 acres, and has initiated a Healthy Corner campaign in an effort to make sure residents across the city have access to healthy foods. The city’s Health Department, working with child care centers, has created community gardens and hosts workshops with kids and parents about healthy cooking.
“To ensure a healthy community, we need to work as a community,” said Finch. “We are working to create a city that is bikeable and walkable and are creating walking paths along the waterfront. As a city with two highways running through it, we need to work harder and be even more creative.”
For example, the city in coordination with its Downtown Farmer’s Market promotes healthy eating through an annual Green Chef competition in which local restaurants cook healthy meals using fresh produce purchased from local gardens.
Selected from more than 340 communities across the country, Bridgeport joins 14 other finalist communities for the foundation health prize. Winners will be announced this fall.
To become a finalist, Bridgeport had to demonstrate how its efforts to improve health outcomes for residents reflect the six RWJF Culture of Health Prize criteria, which include:
- Defining health in the broadest possible terms.
- Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions.
- Cultivating a shared and deeply-held belief in the importance of equal opportunity for health.
- Harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members.
- Securing and making the most of available resources.
- Measuring and sharing progress and results.
“The RWJF Culture of Health Prize finalists is transforming communities, make them healthier places to raise a family, provide jobs, and educate their children,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, RWJF president and CEO. “These inspiring finalists are one step closer to being named 2015 Prize winners this fall.”
The RWJF Culture of Health Prize is one pillar of the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The rankings show communities where they can improve; the roadmaps show communities how to take action to expand opportunities for healthier choices, and the prize honors communities that represent solutions-driven leadership at its finest. Together, these pillars serve as a platform for the Foundation’s vision to build a Culture of Health, now and for generations to come.
Find out more at www.rwjf.org and www.countyhealthrankings.org.
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