Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

 

To:

David Corliss

City Manager

From:

Megan Gilliland

cc:

Diane Stoddard

Cynthia Wagner

Jonathan Douglass 

Date:

January 7, 2011

Re:

Let’s Move Community Participation   

 

Background:

The City of Lawrence was approached by the Department of Health and Human Services to become a ‘Let’s Move’ community.  The Let’s Move initiative focuses on efforts to decrease childhood obesity.

 

As part of the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative, mayors and elected officials in cities are encouraged to take action in each of the four impact areas: Helping Parents Make Healthy Family Choices, Improve the Health of Schools, Increase Physical Activity Opportunities, and Make Healthy Food Affordable and Accessible.  Through organizations such as the LiveWell Lawrence, Douglas County Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), and Lawrence Public Schools, the Lawrence community is actively working on addressing these four impact areas and has successfully launched programs and projects that are already in use in our community.  Since our community is already working to address these issues, we can use this to our advantage as we participate in the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative.

 

There is no cost to participate in the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative.  The benefits to partnering with the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign are visibility, access to branding and marketing materials, and the initiative’s ability to promote communities like Lawrence on a national level. 

 

In order to become a ‘Let’s Move’ community, staff would complete the online documentation needed and work with outside organizations to categorize and organize the existing efforts as part of our community action plan.   More information is available online at http://www.letsmove.gov/officials.php.

 

Recommended Action:

Authorize staff to complete the needed online paperwork to become a ‘Let’s Move’ community and work with local organizations who wish to utilize the marketing and branding materials for their efforts to reduce childhood obesity and create a healthier Lawrence.