Crockett Smiles Campaign brings ‘Walking Wednesdays’ to the county
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FRIENDSHIP, Tenn. — A West Tennessee county is making a change after getting a bad rap for being inactive. Be healthy, be happy. That’s the summer slogan for Crockett County, which unfortunately has one of the highest rates of obesity in the state. “The initiatives have kind of came out of the campaign, and Walking Wednesdays was kicked off at the start of summer,” said Charlie Moore, director of the Crockett County Chamber of Commerce. It’s all part of the healthy initiative from the Crockett County Smiles Campaign. They’re partnering with Feeding Nutrition sites in a new city each week to serve healthy meals and promote healthy behaviors. “It’s a fun place for kids to go and benefit from healthy food and fun activities, to get the community together and just have fun with everyone in town,” volunteer Chelsea Summerlin said. According to a recent study, nearly 35 percent of Crockett County is inactive. “Our obesity rate is higher than the state average,” Moore said. “This is just one more way to affect that and try to get that to a healthier and happier Crockett County.” This week, Friendship decorated the town to motivate everyone to get moving. Nearly every business in Friendship came together to support the campaign for a healthy lifestyle. “We got sponsors for the kids’ shirts, we came up with prizes, city hall donated a lot of prizes for the kids and the merchants also did,” volunteer Charlotte Haley said. AllCare Medical Clinic donated time to give free blood pressure screenings. “We’re really pushing health and nutrition, and especially with the rise in childhood obesity we like to get the kids active and show them what good nutrition looks like,” said Sandy McNeill, a nurse practitioner for AllCare. Walking Wednesdays continues through July 29.
