Gov. Northam serves as featured guest at Movement Makers Active Living Summit
RICHMOND, VA – Gov. Ralph Northam served as the keynote guest at the sixth-annual Active RVA Awards presented by Cigna, held at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, sharing his message on the importance of physical activity in building healthy and vibrant communities. The Active RVA Awards recognize organizations throughout the Richmond region that create a culture of daily physical activity and encourage active lifestyles. The awards were held in conjunction with the Movement Makers Active Living Summit. This year’s event honored 123 area schools and early childhood education centers and 44 companies. Also announced during Active RVA was the Richmond Region Fitness Scorecard, with the region earning a grade of B-.
In addition to honoring certified companies and schools, Active RVA presented its Infrastructure Award and Changemaker Award. The Infrastructure Award, which recognizes a project with a positive impact on the active infrastructure of the region, went to SwimRVA. The Changemaker Award, given to an individual or organization dedicated to creating and supporting a healthy environment for residents of all ages, went to Tom Byrd, board chair of Greater Richmond Fit4Kids.
Richmond Region Fitness Scorecard: B- grade
The data points used for the scorecard calculation are a combination of data used in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) American Fitness Index (which are reported by reputable agencies and organizations for the metropolitan area), Centers for Disease Control data, and the current inventory of paved, multi-use bike trails and lanes in the Richmond region, as measured and compiled by Sports Backers’ staff. The data used includes the following (applies to adult population unless otherwise noted):
- Percent any physical activity or exercise in the last 30 days
- Percent meeting CDC aerobic activity guidelines
- Percent meeting both CDC aerobic and strength activity guidelines
- Percent in excellent or very good health
- Percent with diabetes
- Percent obese
- Percent with angina or coronary heart disease
- Percent bicycling or walking to work
- Miles of paved multi-use trails and bike lanes in the Richmond region
A greater weight was assigned to the first three data points pertaining to physical activity, as these are good indicators of the overall activity levels of residents of the Richmond region. The remaining data points were also weighted, and the Richmond Region’s data scores were then divided by the target goal for each indicator (or in cases where it is better to have a score that is equal to or lower than the target goal, the target goal was divided by Richmond’s score).
The resulting number was then multiplied by the assigned weight for that indicator to reach an overall score for that category. The category scores were combined to reach the overall physical activity score for the Richmond region.
This scorecard is produced annually as a way to measure and celebrate the community’s goals and achievements.
Active RVA Certification for companies, schools, and early childhood education centers
Sports Backers established the Active RVA certification and awards program to recognize the region’s exceptional employers and schools that are implementing innovative programs to promote physical activity. 123 area schools and early childhood education centers and 44 companies were recognized for earning Active RVA certification, serving as role models in the community. All recognized companies, schools, and early childhood education centers took home a commemorative plaque. The full list of certified companies can be found here, and the full list of certified schools and early childhood education centers is available here.