Yes! One of the fun aspects of RiseVT’s launch of efforts to get all of us engaged in healthier lifestyles will be a series of “Show Up” events. For June, these events will be held each Wednesday morning in Taylor Park in St. Albans. Each one is free and open to all ages and all fitness levels. They are designed to “energize, motivate, and inspire” us to get physical activity built into our days. They will be hosted by RiseVT Health Coach Brian Clukey and start at 6:30am. Each “Show Up” event will start with 30 minutes of a healthy physical activity – again, something that all ages and abilities can enjoy. That will be followed by 15 minutes of mindfulness and 15 minutes of stretching as participants transition smoothly into their daily activities. What a great way to meet new people, enjoy some activity, and start the day on a positive note! Please grab your sneakers and just “Show Up,” starting at 6:30am on Wednesday, June 3 in Taylor Park! As RiseVT launches, watch for “Show Up” events elsewhere in northwestern Vermont – we look forward to day in the very near future when health coaches and health advocates are helping inspire and initiate activities like this around our region!

These interactive “Show Ups” are just part of the fun involved in the RiseVT launch. Please make plans to stop by the RiseVT booth at Dairy Days in Enosburg on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7. You will see a RiseVT crew enjoying healthy physical activities in the parade on Saturday morning and then will be able to join us at the booth for healthy giant jenga! There will be more delicious RiseVT fun the following weekend on Saturday, June 13. The soon to be famous RiseVT Smoothie Bike will be generating tasty healthy samples at two of Vermont’s finest State Parks: Lake Carmi from Noon-2pm and Sand Bar from 5:30-7pm. Best of all, that’s “Vermont Day” at the State Parks, so admission is free! In addition to enjoying healthy jenga and delicious smoothies, the RiseVT presence at these events gives you an opportunity to learn more about how RiseVT is working to improve health in our community, meet members of the RiseVT team, and get involved in the fun surrounding this exciting community initiative.

As you may remember, RiseVT emerged from the work of the Community Committee on Healthy Lifestyles, a multi-disciplinary group of leaders from throughout our region. For too long, our community has felt the burden of poor health indicators, such as sedentary lifestyles, challenging food choices, and tobacco use. Our health has suffered as a result and our personal health care costs are higher than they need to be. Plus, it’s no fun to feel lousy all of the time. RiseVT was created to help change that. By making small positive changes to our lifestyles, we can have a strong positive impact on our health. We can rise above those challenging health indicators. We can enjoy more energy and feel better. RiseVT provides a framework – we call them scorecards – for individuals, families, and various kinds of organizations to use in guiding their own improvement efforts. As you make progress, you will rise in our levels: moving from Bronze, where you are trying out healthy options; to Silver, where they are becoming healthy habits; to Gold, where they have become part of your daily routine. The best part of it is that RiseVT will help make it fun along the way!

In addition to the “Show Up” activities and the community events, you can get involved in RiseVT online and through social media. Our locally-produced website www.RiseVT.com is now up and running! Visit us online and scroll down through a wonderful new interactive resource to learn about RiseVT and healthy activities in our community. Search out RiseVT on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram – and get in on the daily contests on Facebook, which feature daily prizes and culminate in a grand prize of a $250 Hannaford gift card!

It’s time for all of us in Franklin and Grand Isle counties to come together and rise above our health challenges. We can be healthier and we can have fun doing it. Feeling better and having the energy to enjoy the things we love is within our reach. Together, we can rise to better health. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

— Jill Berry Bowen, NMC’s Chief Executive Officer