Gaithersburg Awarded Medal for Let’s Move Initiative

The National League of Cities (NLC) has recognized the City of Gaithersburg for completion of a key health and wellness goal for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties.

Olde Towne Youth Center
Photo | city of Gaithersburg

LMCTC is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s comprehensive Let’s Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.

Gaithersburg was awarded a Silver medal in Goal III: Smart Servings for Students, for the City’s actions to expand access to programs that offer healthy food before, during and after the school day, and over the summer months. The medal recognizes an initiative at the Olde Towne Youth Center to provide an evening cold supper to Youth Club members throughout the school year, and participation in the Summer Food Service program offered through Montgomery County Public Schools to qualifying summer camp sessions. This achievement builds on the Bronze medal for Goal III that was awarded in July of 2014, acknowledging the City’s active collaboration to expand access to programs that offer healthy food to students while school is not in session.

Medals awarded previously include Gold, Silver and Bronze for Goal V, Active Kids at Play, recognizing the City for mapping and completing a needs assessment of play spaces, developing an action plan, and launching practices to increase access to safe places for physical activity. The City also received Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for Goal II, My Plate, Your Place, for actions to improve access to healthy, affordable food, and a Bronze medal for Goal I, Start Early, Start Smart, promoting nutrition and physical activity in early care and education settings.

The National League of Cities is the lead collaborating partner on the LMCTC initiative, working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Association of Counties, and other nonprofit organizations, in assisting local elected officials to implement policy and environmental changes to prevent childhood obesity. More than 440 cities, towns and counties are currently participating.

For more information visit www.HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org or contact the Gaithersburg Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture at www.gaithersburgmd.gov, 301.258.6350.

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