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

Evesham Township is proud to announce that the municipality once again ranks among the select few communities in New Jersey to be named as a “Healthy Town” winner for 2023 in the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) through The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.

A “Healthy Town” designation is the highest ranking a municipality can achieve in the program. Including Evesham Township, there are just 17 municipalities who were able achieve the “Healthy Town” status for the past ranking year.

Municipalities can only achieve the Healthy Town rank by demonstratively proving a desire to improve the health and wellness of its residents. Municipalities must design and implement a slate of programs and initiatives that help residents focus on bettering all aspects of their health, including one’s physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.

Each year, communities participating in the MWC must also complete a comprehensive Healthy Town application outlining the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs and explaining how they have organized their local MWC committee. The application also highlights the actions the towns have taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, and play.

As noted by Evesham Mayor Jaclyn Veasy, the 2023 ranking is Evesham Township’s fourth consecutive year to achieve the distinguished “Healthy Town” honor. This follows similar successful designations in 2022, 2021 and 2020, in addition to a Healthy Town Up-and-Coming status in 2019.

“The MWC has undoubtedly helped our township examine and improve the local initiatives that can support the members of our community on a physical, mental, and spiritual level,” Mayor Veasy said. “Whether it’s our annual Health and Wellness Festival, our many various educational seminars throughout the year, or even continually investing in our open space and athletic facilities, Evesham Township is prepared to continue our participation in the amazing MWC for years to come.”

Just some of Evesham Township’s many efforts to promote general wellness in the past year have included:

• Maintaining top-quality parks and sports fields for a wide-range of different sports and activities
• Providing multiple seminars throughout the year to educate residents in making better decisions for their physical or financial health
• Applying for a new grant that, if awarded, would allow for the construction of all-inclusive playground for young residents of all abilities
• Providing seasonal recreation programs for residents of all ages to focus on learning new skills, focusing on both indoor hobbies and outdoor athletics
• Having the Evesham Township Police Department hold outdoor exercise boot camps, women’s self-defense classes and other large scale community sports activities
• Organizing the Marlton Farmers Markets during the late spring and summer months to give residents an opportunity to get outside and make healthy eating choices
• Maintaining the municipally-owned Indian Spring Golf Course
• Continually running the annual Evesham Triple-A Summer Camp
• Using large township facilities to help local organizations hold community events, such as blood drives, the Relay for Life and more.

In addition to all those listed above, Evesham Township is proud to announce that the township’s annual Wellness Festival is set to return this year on Saturday, May 18.

This will be Evesham Township’s third year hosting the event, which will once again bring together a  variety of healthcare services, fitness providers and other vendors to share wellness activities and general information with attendees.

From fitness, to yoga, to medical health services to mental health – Evesham Township hopes to once again provide something for everyone’s health and wellness needs.

The 2024 Evesham Wellness Festival will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grass area outside of the Evesham Municipal Complex at 984 Tuckerton Road, Marlton NJ 08053. The event is free for all members of the public, and all are encouraged to attend.

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 May 1)

The Evesham Wellness Festival is in partnership between Evesham Township, The Mayors Wellness Campaign Committee, and the Evesham Township Youth Advisory Committee.

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