Published in Cape May County Herald Online
WILDWOOD CREST – The Borough of Wildwood Crest has received special recognition through its participation in the statewide Mayors Wellness Campaign for the 2018 calendar year.
According to a release, Wildwood Crest has been designated as a “Healthy Town in the Making” by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
A total of 18 municipalities were recognized by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. Eight were awarded a “Healthy Town” designation, while seven others were recognized as “Healthy Towns to Watch.”
Wildwood Crest is one of the three New Jersey municipalities designated as a 2018 “Healthy Town in the Making,” along with Jefferson Township and Vernon Township.
Each year communities participating in the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) complete a comprehensive application outlining the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs, explain how they have organized their local MWC committee, and highlight the actions they’ve taken to make their communities a healthier place to live, work, and play.
Wildwood Crest first promoted its Mayors Wellness Campaign initiatives in 2018 after establishing the Wildwood Crest Wellness Committee, made up of community volunteers as well as staff members from the Wildwood Crest Recreation Department.
Programs in 2018 included a Wellness Weekend that included an employee basketball game and a wellness walk hosted by Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera. In addition, the borough also hosted a community bike ride hosted by Cabrera that included discussions on bicycle safety.
Additional wellness initiatives are planned for Wildwood Crest for 2019.
The borough will host its wellness walk April 6, and its employee basketball game April 12.
The Wildwood Crest Recreation Department and Wellness Committee will also host a seven-part lecture series by various healthcare professionals on a variety of health and wellness topics beginning March 27.
In addition, the Wildwood Crest Mayors Wellness Campaign also includes plans to install walkway markers along the Wildwood Crest Bike Path and along Sunset Lake to help walkers, runners and bikers determine distances traveled.
“Wildwood Crest is proud to receive this recognition from the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute,” Cabrera said. “The Crest has just started to scratch the surface in its wellness initiatives. You can’t find a more perfect community setting for wellness with our excellent beach, parks, events, pool, bike path — not to mention our dedicated residents and vacationers. There’s more to come.”
Now in its 12th year, the Mayors Wellness Campaign is a program of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
The program empowers mayors across New Jersey with evidence-based tools, strategies, and support to champion health and wellness in their communities.