What is Activate Omaha? At Activate Omaha, we believe active living approaches such as walking or bicycling for basic transportation or pleasure, playing in the park, taking the stairs and using recreation facilities will help people achieve the Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity on at least five days of each week. Mission Our mission at Activate Omaha is to create awareness, advocacy and excitement about activity and the importance of designing our community for active lifestyles. Vision The vision of Activate Omaha is to become a national leader in creating a model community where healthy living through active choices is a priority. Activate Omaha is a five-year initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living by Design program to promote "active living." Omaha was one of 25 communities to receive funding to encourage Omahans to become more active by utilizing features of the built environment that promote activity; such as bike trails, parks, city gardens, walking paths, skateparks and many more! Why Activate Omaha? Over 60 percent of the contribution to individual health status are behavioral, social, and environmental factors- not genetics --as many would assume. Further, the first four leading causes of death in Douglas County are Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, and Chronic Lung Disease. These causes of death are costly to our community in many ways. However, studies have shown that staying fit and/or becoming fit has a direct relation to a lower rate in mortality (Blair et al, 1995, JAMA, 273, 1093-8). According to Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, people who exercise and stay active moderately have lower rates of: Premature death Dying from heart disease Developing diabetes Developing high blood pressure Developing colon cancer Better success in weight control Activate Omaha is about encouraging people to change those behaviors.Activate Omaha is a community-wide social marketing initiative designed to engage all citizens across all sectors to Get Up and Get Active. Activate Omaha's mission is to get Omahans to think and be more active at home, in workplaces, in schools and in the community, by incorporating simple means of activity into their daily life. It will take a massive awareness campaign with the support of planned community activities and a thrust on enhancing the built environment to support active living. 3 Core Functions Inform and Educate by providing materials to the Omaha community about the health benefits of active living places, design standards that accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, and science-based resources that support active living communities. Advocate for environments that support active living by conducting physical assessments to help neighborhood groups identify opportunities and barriers to active living in their community. Become a community resource for evidence that supports accessible safe places for activity. Demonstrate by providing active living model programs that convey the many choices for integrating activity into daily life. Activate Omaha will work collaboratively with others to ensure that Omahans are: Aware of the benefits associated with active living Knowledgeable about active living choices and how to overcome obstacles to physical activity Informed about physical activity opportunities, resources, services, and information Encouraged to be physically active Supportive of efforts to enhance and improve active living options in our community