By ANNETTE ZAHAROFF, MD, Active Living Council Chair
The Mayor’s Fitness Council held its first ever town hall-style meeting titled Speak Out For Healthy Living on June 17. The event was open to the public and was held during Free Tuesday hours at the Witte Museum. The event attracted over 70 participants throughout the two hours of activities. Planned by members of the Active Living Council and Nutrition Committee the event goals were to help the public understand all the is under the umbrella of active living, engage the general public and stakeholders and obtain input on improving opportunities for active living and share community resources about active living. The evening included presentations about creative solutions being used in other communities to engage people in healthy eating habits and physical activity, initiatives already being implemented in our own community, small group Speak Out sessions to capture what healthy living and eating means to people in San Antonio, and an empowerment session where participants were encouraged to take actionable steps such as writing to their City Council representative and County Commissioner to communicate what citizens want to see happen to encourage better health in our community. The event was presented with support from the Mayor’s Fitness Council, the Witte Museum and with the time and dedication of enthusiastic volunteers and interns committed to active living and smarter nutrition in our community. The plan is for Speak Out For Healthy Living events to be offered quarterly in different geographic locations throughout San Antonio.
