Edinburg reaches bronze level in Step It Up! Success Roadmap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact Roxanne Lerma
Director of Communications & Media
rlerma@cityofedinburg.com (956) 388-8927 

Roadmap is part of a nationwide initiative to promote physically active communities

Edinburg, TX - Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. announces the completion of the 2023 Move with the Mayor ^(R) (MWTM) Fall Challenge by reaching the bronze level in the Step It Up! Success Roadmap.

MWTM, a nationwide project developed by the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention (National Forum), features a spring and fall fitness challenge. Both challenges bring communities across America together on a mission to increase movement, improve health, and help people find enjoyment in physical activity.

The Fall Challenge includes the completion of a Step It Up! Success Roadmap inspired by the U.S. Surgeon General’s call to action, promoting walking and walkable communities. During the challenge, participating mayors submit a year-in-review of the city’s healthy lifestyle policies and programs to the National Forum.

The Roadmap helps cities identify opportunities to strengthen policies and programs that promote physical activity. And also helps identify the number of Community Guide recommendations (a collection of evidence-based findings of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) they are implementing. Cities earn points based on the level of achievement in three focus areas:

1. Making physical activity a city priority
2. Designing activity-friendly communities that make physical activity safe and accessible for everyone
3. Promoting programs and policies to support physical activity where people live, learn, work, pray, and play

The National Forum uses the Roadmap to highlight successes and improve future programming for participating cities.

Thirty cities participated in the Fall Challenge and hosted over 60 events across the United States. Some popular activities in Edinburg included:

• Walk with the Mayor
• 9/11 Remembrance Walk/Run
• Mayor’s Art Walk during SaludArte hosted by Edinburg Cultural Arts

“Working to improve programs and policy around the physical, mental, and overall health of our Edinburg residents is a top priority,” said Mayor Garza. “Completing this Roadmap has been a great way for our city departments to get together, review the accomplishments over the year, and see what we are doing well and what we can improve on. Each year we complete the Roadmap, we can compare how we have progressed.” 

"Mayor Garza and the City of Edinburg deserve resounding applause for their participation in the Fall Challenge," said John M. Clymer, executive director of the National Forum. "They are a testament to the fact that with unity, commitment, and leadership, it is possible to inspire active living on a community-wide scale. It's truly inspiring to witness how they have harnessed the Move with the Mayor initiative to foster an environment of wellness and implement proven strategies to improve well-being."