Safety Harbor Named 2015 Healthy Weight Community Champion
By 
The City of Safety Harbor was honored as a 2015 Healthy Weight Community Champion during the City Commission meeting on Monday night.
The award was given to 65 communities by Healthiest Weight Florida, a Florida Department of Health initiative that recognizes municipalities that work towards a healthy weight by using best practices.
During Mondayβs meeting Megan Carmichael, the Community Partnership Coordinator for the DOH, presented the City Commission with a certificate proclaiming the cityβs achievement, and she spoke about the purpose of the award.
βHealthiest Weight Florida is a state initiative from the Department of Health to combat obesity in Florida,β she said, noting the group is a collaboration of state agencies, not-for-profits, businesses and communities organized by the DOH.
βCurrently, 36 percent of Floridians are at a healthiest weight, and with the current trend, by 2030, 60 percent of Floridaβs population will be obeseβ¦and 6 out of 10 children will be obese by the time they graduate high school.β
Carmichael went on to explain why Safety Harbor was chosen as one of the 65 recipients of the second annual award.
βThe City of Safety Harbor has created a Bayshore Linear Trail that extends approximately one-mile along the Tampa bay coastline,β she said. βThe City operates and maintains 16 recreation facilities on more than 95 acres of parkland, and the City participates in the Letβs Move campaign, the Playful Cities program, and has been named one of the top five running communities in America by the American Road Runners Association.β
βSo congratulations to the City of Safety Harbor on this award, and for making the cityβs environment a healthier place for all of your residents.β
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Congratulations! Iβm proud to live here!
Yeah Safety Harbor! I love this city!!!
In my opinion Safety Harbor is the best town to walk in in America. There are sidewalks everywhere and many crosswalks are illuminated with flashing signs, though I wish that the signs across from Philippe Park were illuminated. I use that crosswalk 6 days a week (walking at least 25 miles every week!) and you can count on one hand how many people are courteous enough to slow down and stop at the caution sign. In other areas of Safety Harbor where the signs are flashing drivers tend to make a much better effort to slow down and stop.