California: San Ramon steps up to health.

In 2002-03 29 percent of 5th graders in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District were considered overweight, according to the Contra Costa County Hospital Council. In the face of these staggering statistics, the San Ramon (Calif.) Parks & Community Services Department committed itself to leading the San Ramon community into a more active lifestyle.

Public Visibility Campaign

In the spring of 2005, the department launched the Get Active! in San Ramon campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle for those who live and work in the City of San Ramon.

The program was envisioned to be an ongoing awareness campaign that would involve:

1) Publishing articles in the city's quarterly Recreation Guide that would educate the public on the obesity crisis and how to utilize the department's services to meet their fitness goals

2) A photo scavenger hunt in the spring quarter to highlight city parks as a means to staying active and

3) A program that would promote fitness and provide a measurable result in the summer quarter.

The department offered a Photo Scavenger Hunt for Parks in the spring of 2005 to encourage residents to become aware of the 30 city parks within San Ramon and their many amenities. The contest was advertised in the Spring 2005 Recreation Guide. Photos of five different parks were displayed and written clues were given to help lead participants to the chosen park. Participants were asked to visit each of parks and take photos of themselves or their families being active in the park. The photos were then submitted either on CD or in print.

Prizes were awarded for the families with the best photos and all participants were honored at their Parks & Community Services Commission meeting. The photos were placed on the Web site for the community to enjoy.

Step it Up in July for National Parks and Recreation Month

Taking 10,000 steps a day satisfies the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendations that people get at least 20-30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Walking is encouraged as one of the most accessible ways to be physically active.

To promote walking to their community and to celebrate National Parks & Recreation Month, San Ramon Parks & Community Services launched the Step It Up program in the Summer of 2005. They purchased and distributed 350 free pedometers to people who live and work in San Ramon. Participants, in exchange for this free gift, were asked to track their daily steps for the entire month of July. Along with the pedometer information was distributed on the importance of walking 10,000 steps a day and additional health tips to inform and motivate participants.

The response was very exciting as whole families were walking and tracking their steps together. The Step It Up in July program asked that participants track, record and submit their daily step counts for the month of July. These results were submitted either via a tracking calendar that was provided to them, submitted to the city's website or by email. In total participants, who submitted results, walked 16,739,849 steps or approximately 8,369 miles! This is the same distance as traveling from San Ramon, Calif., to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

For more examples of communities becoming involved in the Step Up to Health initiative, visit www.nrpa.org/health.