Evesham named 'Healthy Town' winner for fifth consecutive year by the Mayors Wellness Campaign under the NJ Health Care Quality Institute

Evesham Township is proud to announce that the municipality has once again achieved the distinguished “Healthy Town” ranking for 2024 through the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC), as organized by The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.

This marks Evesham Township’s fifth consecutive year achieving this great honor.

The distinction places Evesham Township among a top group of just 32 municipalities throughout the entire state that have proven the strongest commitment to fostering health and wellness within their communities.

Achieving the “Healthy Town” designation – the highest honor under the MWC – requires municipalities to actively implement programs that promote residents’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

To qualify, participating communities must submit a detailed Healthy Town application each year. This application outlines the township’s efforts to assess local health needs, and it details all the various initiatives in place to enhance public health. Municipalities that attain the “Healthy Town” designation have proven their dedication to making their communities better places to live, work, and play.

“It is a point of great pride that I can now say Evesham Township has achieved MWC’s ‘Healthy Town’ ranking for five consecutive years,” Mayor Jaclyn Veasy said. “This ranking once again exemplifies the great care we take in fostering a culture of health and wellness for all our residents. From our annual Wellness Festival, to our ongoing educational programs, our recreation opportunities, and our open space investments, we remain fully committed to initiatives that boost all aspects of our residents’ wellbeing. As we continue to support our residents, we also look forward to continuing our work with the MWC for many years ahead.”

Over the past year, Evesham Township has continued to implement numerous initiatives to support community health, such as:

• Maintaining and reinvesting in high-quality parks and athletic fields to support a variety of sports and outdoor activities.
• Securing a grant of $731,000 Green Acres Grant to support the construction an all-inclusive playground for children of all abilities.
• Budgeting $2.2 million to build eight fully new Pickle Ball Courts outside the local community center, as highly requested by residents.
• Maintaining the municipally-owned Indian Spring Golf Course, including recent investments to upgrade the existing driving range.
• Hosting multiple seminars to educate residents on making informed choices about their physical, mental, and financial health.
• Running the annual Marlton Farmers Market throughout the late spring and summer, giving residents access to fresh, healthy food choices.
• Offering seasonal recreation programs that encourage residents of all ages to develop new skills in both indoor and outdoor activities.
• Organizing fitness-focused events through the local Police Department, including outdoor boot camps, self-defense classes, and large-scale community sports activities.
• Continuing the long-standing tradition of hosting the township’s Triple A Summer Camp.
• Collaborating with local organizations to host a variety of community wellness events in township facilities.

Looking ahead, Evesham Township is also excited to welcome back the township’s annual Wellness Festival on Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Blue Barn Rec Center, located at 1004 Tuckerton Road.

This will mark Evesham Township’s fourth year hosting this event, which will once again bring together health and wellness professionals, fitness experts, and other related vendors to offer services, activities, and information for attendees of all ages.

Space is also still open for healthcare and fitness providers, as well as other vendors! Provider/vendor registration is also free and available at https://lf.evesham-nj.gov/Forms/vendorwellness

(Application due date is April 16)

The Evesham Wellness Festival is a partnership between Evesham Township, The Mayors Wellness Campaign Committee, and the Evesham Township Community Celebrations Committee.

To learn more about the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and Mayors Wellness Campaign, visit https://njhcqi.info/mwchtpr2024 or https://www.njhcqi.org/mayor-wellness-campaign/