2020 Healthy Hometown Community Award
posted in City of Waverly on February 11, 2020
Waverly receives 2020 Healthy Hometown Community Award
Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark awards the community for their health improvement work
DES MOINES, IA (Feb. 7, 2020) — Waverly was presented with a 2020 Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award during the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative awards ceremony held on Feb. 6, 2020. The award recognizes Waverly for its accomplishments in health improvement initiatives within the community.
“We are pleased to present Waverly with a Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award,” said Jami Haberl, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative executive director. “The City has earned the title of 2020 Healthy Waverly and will also receive $5,000 to continue the important work of improving the physical, social and emotional well-being of the community.”
Some noteworthy achievements in Waverly include:
• Implemented traffic calming measures by reconfiguring Bremer Ave/Highway 3 from four lanes to three and added bumpouts at various intersections.
• Community Sharing Gardens added three new raised garden beds and added 10 apple trees to the community orchard. This brings the total of raised garden beds to 63 and fruit trees to 62. In a separate community garden on the south end of town, an additional eight raised garden beds were built. Last year, the Community Sharing Gardens grew more than 8,400 pounds of produce and donated it to local churches, social service groups and the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.
• Adopted a tobacco- and nicotine-free policy covering the 21 parks in Waverly and seven miles of trail system, which connects to surrounding communities.
“We are incredibly proud of what our community has accomplished to create more environments and opportunities for our citizens to move more, eat well and feel better and are appreciative to have proactive community organizations that support and encourage this work, said Mayor Adam Hoffman.
“It is an honor to be recognized as one of the healthiest communities in Iowa,” said Amanda Ramthun, Community Health Specialist at Waverly Health Center and member of WAPHL committee. “We envisioned this work as a way to connect people, businesses and places in Waverly creating an energy that encourages people to want to visit, live, learn and play here. We hope that this momentum continues to promote healthy choices, relationships and environments in our great community.”
“The Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award celebrates the successes achieved by Waverly,” said Laura Jackson, chief health officer at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
“The work Waverly has done is remarkable and their commitment to the health and well-being of their residents is inspiring.”
To learn more about the work Waverly is doing to support the well-being initiatives for a healthier, more active community, visit WAPHL on Facebook.
Click on this link (2020 Annual Award Winners) to view all of the 2020 Healthiest State Award Winners.
Included in the picture (L-R) front row — Sheila Kittleson, Amanda Ramthun, Heather Gamm. Back row — Jami Haberl - Iowa Healthiest State Initiative executive director, Jacki Schares, Adam Hoffman, Garret Riordan, Lyndsey Fennelly – keynote speaker.