Local Officials Join the First Lady at a Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties Event in Philadelphia

On Wednesday in Philadelphia, First Lady Michelle Obama joined local elected officials from across the country to announce new opportunities to bring Let’s Move! to cities, towns and counties across America. Since the initial launch of Let’s Move!, the First Lady has encouraged local solutions to solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. At the event, she announced opportunities for local elected officials to do just that through Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties, an initiative that calls upon all local elected officials to work for changes that make their communities healthier.

Some of the new opportunities include a new website, free resources, access to experts and tracking tools and maps from the National League of Cities with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support local elected officials in achieving the goals of Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties.

The First Lady spoke about many local efforts already underway to encourage healthy lifestyles in places like Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Avondale, Arizona where Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers opened a 80,000 square foot soccer, basketball and volleyball facility and started an after-school program where kids can get active.  Mayor Lopez Rogers, the Vice President of the National League of Cities, attended the event and shared her thoughts on Let’s Move!:

I was honored and inspired to be a part of the event yesterday. The First Lady is an exemplary role model as a mother, and a community leader. Her efforts through Let's Move! involves the entire community working together to keep children physically active and healthy.

I am very proud that the National League of Cities is building on that foundation with Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties by encouraging local elected officials to take action to ensure that future generations of adults in their communities are on the right path to a healthy and successful life.

Avondale is a Kids At Hope City where we believe all kids can succeed, no exceptions! Let's Move! works because it involves the entire community working together to keep children physically active and healthy. In Avondale, we are already taking many of the steps to ensure that our next generation of adults is on the right path to a healthy and successful life.

Find out more about Let’s Move! Cities, Towns & Counties at www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org and see what other local elected officials across the country are doing to fight childhood obesity.