Dear Mayor:

Later this month you will be receiving the first installment of the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) "Toolbox." We are excited by this new opportunity for New Jersey municipalities to lead the way in making our state healthier.

In addition to providing overall summary information about the MWC, this first installment also includes communications and resource materials as well as the first of four component tools - Youth in Motion. As the name implies, this first section provides examples of programs and projects which will help you target programs aimed at making children more active.

In the coming months you will be mailed the remaining three components:

• Communities in Motion
• Employers in Motion
• Seniors in Motion

The Toolbox also includes material on how you can promote the MWC through local media. I am pleased that two of our towns, Bloomingdale and Pompton Lakes, have already passed Mayors Wellness Campaign resolutions. Posted on our website (www.njslom.org) are those resolutions as well as a sample resolution and proclamation for your use. These items are also included in the Toolbox.

As you know, the Mayors Wellness Campaign supports Mayors as champions of community health. The goal of the campaign is to improve health, reduce health care costs related to obesity, and make New Jersey a national leader in community-based health interventions. Through a public-private partnership of civic, academic, and health policy advocates, the MWC seeks to foster active living and healthy lifestyles by providing communities the structure and resources to implement healthy community initiatives.

Key to this effort, of course, is the Toolbox which will provide you with a comprehensive program of outreach, education and technical assistance options to combat obesity and inactivity in your community.

The MWC is an initiative of the NJ Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. A major founding grant was provided by Aetna with additional funding from the NJ Department of Transportation.

If you are interested in getting an early start in organizing your Community, contact Ann McDonald at (609) 393-4953.