Dear Mayor:

Once again we need your help to gain the official support of your town for a worthy endeavor through the passage of a municipal resolution.

As many of you know, the New Jersey League of Municipalities has joined with the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and Rutgers University in a new effort to fight obesity, particularly childhood obesity, in our state. Known as the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC), the effort supports mayors as champions of community health. The goal is to increase opportunities for New Jersey residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of reducing human and health care costs secondary to obesity. Through public-private partnerships, the MWC provides structure and tools for healthy community initiatives. By encouraging mayors to play a leadership role in supporting local opportunities for active, healthy lifestyles, the intent of the MWC is to improve health and make New Jersey a national leader in community-based health interventions.

Many towns have already joined the MWC through the passage of resolutions (see www.njslom.org for press release announcing those towns which have joined). We are asking that you put the enclosed resolution (or some variation thereof) on the agenda for one of your upcoming council meetings.

Please understand that the MWC is an important initiative to the NJSLOM. Those towns which join the MWC prior to September 15th will receive special recognition in our League Magazine which will be distributed at the Convention in November. As you know, this is our most-read issue. In addition, those towns which join the MWC prior to November 1st will receive special recognition at the League organizational breakfast on Friday November 17th.

We hope you will take the time to review the enclosed resolution and we are hoping that we can once again count on your support. For additional information about the MWC, please go to www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org