2. Award Winners |
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The cities listed below underwent significant transformations after engaging in WELCOA's Well City initiative. With healthier workforces—and a healthier understanding of what it takes to improve health on a large scale—these cities now serve as examples for the Well City projects that will follow. Click on the icons below to read their stories. |
| 1. Gainesville, FL | |
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The city of Gainesville, FL was awarded the first and only Gold Well City, USA Award from the Wellness Councils of America in April 2003. With close to 60% of the working population participating in wellness programs at the worksite, Gainesville has set a standard for other communities to follow to help address obesity and other lifestyle related issues affecting the United States today. |
| 2. Kanawha Valley, WV | |
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Nestled within the scenic rolling hills of Charleston, WV, Kanawha Valley (pronounced Ka-naugh) is one of the healthiest regions in the nation. In 1996, the Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement (KCCHI) began working with the Wellness Councils of West Virginia (WCWV) to spearhead a drive that would place Kanawha Valley on a short list of Well Cities. After four years of securing and making real the commitment from Kanawha Valley employers, the goal of achieving a Well City USA designation was attained in October of 2001. |
| 3. Kearney, NE | |
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Kearney, NE (pronounced car-knee) is a small agricultural community located almost exactly in the center of the United States. In addition to its location nationally, Kearney?s leadership in creating healthy communities is even more central. |
| 4. Lincoln, NE | |
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After watching Omaha achieve Well City USA status in 1996, the City of Lincoln, Nebraska decided that it, too, needed to strive for the same lofty status. A few short months later, Lincoln was well on its way to becoming the fifth community in the nation to achieve a Well City USA designation. And in the fall of 2000, Lincoln?s hard work and dedication paid off as it received the Well City USA Award from the Wellness Councils of America. |
| 5. Hobart, IN | |
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The Well City USA project in Hobart was born out of a magazine article passed on to Milt Triana, CEO of St. Mary's Medical Center, who then shared the article and the idea of Well City USA with Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec. "Both became very excited about the idea of becoming a Well City USA," says Patrick Midkif, Vice President of Planning and Business Development at St. Mary's Medical Center and a leader in the Well City project. "I think they saw it as a natural fit for the City of Hobart?they saw both the quality of life issues and the productivity issues that stood to benefit the whole community." |
| 6. Chattanooga, TN | |
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In the midst of one of the nation's most aggressive civic revitalization campaigns, the City of Chattanooga, TN is experiencing a period of unrivaled growth and prosperity. This new vibrancy is evident in the growing population of construction equipment making room for the new businesses, neighborhoods, parks, and schools that hundreds of millions of dollars in community investment has brought to Chattanooga. |
| 7. Omaha, NE | |
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Located in the nation's heartland, the City of Omaha, Nebraska is home to the NCAA College World Series. In collegiate baseball, competing for a chance to play at the College World Series has become known as "the road to Omaha." As making it to Omaha to play in college baseball's national championship game is a journey down a long, hard road, the City of Omaha embarked upon its own journey in 1992—the road to wellness. And in 1996, Omaha arrived at its destination—Well City USA. |
| 8. Jacksonville, FL | |
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The city of Jacksonville, FL was awarded the Well City USA Award from the Wellness Councils of America in 1995. The first city in the United States to achieve this designation, Jacksonville set the standard for Well City projects that followed. And they did it with style. |
| 9. Bangor, ME | |
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Bangor, ME was awarded the Well Region Award from the Wellness Councils of America in 2006. The first in the United States to achieve the Well Region designation, Bangor has pushed the envelope with obtaining the breadth of Well Workplace Award winners, from the very small to the large. |
