The Healthy Utah Community designation is valid for three years. To qualify for redesignation, communities must complete the following: 

• Submit a new letter of commitment
• Continue to hold health coalition meetings
• Demonstrate progress on their 3-year health plan, and
• Submit an updated 3-year health plan.

This spring, all eleven cities and towns eligible to be redesignated as Healthy Utah Communities applied and qualified! Get Healthy Utah, in partnership with the Utah League of Cities and Towns, is pleased to announce the following redesignated communities: Annabella, Herriman, Magna, Marriott-Slaterville, Millcreek, North Logan, Park City, Sandy, South Salt Lake, St. George, and Vineyard.

This is our largest cohort of Healthy Utah Community redesignees, and we are so pleased to recognize their efforts to improve community health!

Annabella

Annabella added new fitness opportunities to their local Community Center. They made significant enhancements to the exercise room, purchasing a new state-of-the-art Smith machine and free weights. Since the installation of the new equipment, youth participation in the exercise room has tripled. Based on community feedback, they also added a volleyball net to the facility, which has resulted in frequent volleyball practices. Furthermore, The Town Council is actively pursuing the installation of a brand-new playground to replace the existing one, and the Trails Committee is working to provide comprehensive information about the scenic trails surrounding Annabella.

Herriman

Herriman made sure its community programs are keeping up with its rapidly growing population. The city increased the amount of programming available for the aging population and is currently working to retrofit their old city hall building into a community center. Herriman City is also actively working to expand both its primitive and urban trail systems. The city recently completed a new active transportation corridor of 3.25 miles that connects Herriman to Riverton, and is working to build three new primitive trails that include a portion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Magna

Magna worked through its Magna United Communities that Care Coalition to provide a variety of health services to its community members. The coalition provided funding for over 5,000 weekend food packs for school food pantries, and provided breakfast over Christmas break for an elementary school with low food access. The coalition also organizes two drug take-back events a year and advertises the medication disposal box located at the local police station. In addition, Magna added an additional mile to their canal trail and plans to add an additional mile this upcoming year that will connect it to another, existing trail that spans multiple cities.

Marriott-Slaterville

Marriott-Slaterville has made sure that it continues to offer opportunities for physical activity, healthy eating, and mental health. Over the past year, the city added 1.5 new miles to its local trail system and partnered with the Weber Communities that Care Coalition to offer QPR Suicide Prevention classes in their community. The city also hosts a “Seed and Greet” event during the springtime to distribute garden seeds and teach gardening skills to any interested resident.

Millcreek

Millcreek continued to work hard to ensure that every resident has access to healthy food and mental health resources. The city partnered with Wasteless Solutions to launch a garden share program that distributes excess produce from residents’ gardens to organizations and food pantries that address hunger in the community. Millcreek also partnered with Housing Connect to host resource fairs that provide refugees and low-income residents with resources for education, health, and safety. This ensures that a strong foundation is in place for improved mental wellbeing.

North Logan

North Logan focused on improving opportunities to be physically active. The city completed a robust Active Transportation Plan and from the plan, completed over two miles of new trails. In addition, the city hosted QPR suicide prevention classes at the local library for any interested residents.

Park City

Park City worked hard to provide even greater access to physical activity, healthy food, and mental health resources. Park City’s Recreation Department enhanced its sliding fee scale scholarship program to increase access to its community sports leagues for adults and children. The department also hosted a Spring Gardening 101 class that promoted healthy eating and basic gardening skills.

The Trails & Open Space department addressed connectivity gaps between key community destinations with the Transit to Trails program, and the city was recognized nationally with the Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community award. They also implemented an annual bike-back-to-school event that distributes helmets, bells, and bicycle safety information to local elementary school students. 

To promote mental health, Park City trained its first responders on mental health crisis intervention and updated their prescription drop off box to one with a larger capacity and sensors to keep the content secure. These steps were taken in addition to providing mental health safety classes to 4th and 10th grade students.

Sandy City

Sandy worked on various strategies to elevate health and wellbeing in the community. Sandy launched the Healthy Sandy Champion program, which shines a spotlight on businesses and individuals who go above and beyond to promote good health, safety, and wellness in the city. The city also adopted a new active transportation plan and is working hard to address pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, as well as adding new trail segments. The city is proud to offer many fun opportunities to get physically active, such as community sports programs (including a scholarship option) and local events such as 5k runs and Yoga in the Park.

South Salt Lake

Since first receiving the Healthy Utah Community designation, the City of South Salt Lake continued to work hard to ensure that every resident has access to mental health, physical activity, and healthy eating resources. The city supported mental health by providing Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainings to the South Salt Lake community. Over the course of three years, 20 trainings were provided to 192 individuals, and city staff trained to provide Spanish-speaking sessions. South Salt Lake also supported physical health by completing a bike/walking trail that runs along the S-Line to the Jordan River and created safe biking/walking pathways that connect key recreation locations in the City. To support healthy eating, South Salt Lake started the Fitts Park Community Garden which boasts a total of 38 garden plots.

St. George

The City of St. George keeps health a high priority for its community and qualified for redesignation by implementing a range of initiatives through its Live Well and Healthy Dixie coalitions. The city implemented new wayfinding signage to help residents navigate their extensive trail network, prioritized sending city staff to pedestrian safety trainings, and conducted walkability and crosswalk audits throughout the community. St. George also partnered with Buffalo Wild Wings to offer youth sports participation waivers to low-income families.

The city also offered its residents health-focused programming including six-week-long community fitness challenges that saw over 600 registrants and a 73% completion rate. To keep wellness fun, the city also hosts an International Yoga Day event and conducts awareness campaigns to connect community members with local volunteer opportunities.

Vineyard

To earn its redesignation, Vineyard City worked hard to improve access to healthy food The city expanded its community garden to accommodate more residents and added a seed exchange program and community vegetable stand. Vineyard also secured its first grocery store.

To improve access to physical activity, Vineyard promoted Safe Routes to Schools by increasing the number of crosswalks throughout the city, and also added a nature walk and enhanced landscaping in its parks.

To support mental health, Vineyard developed mental health packages for its Resource Officers and received an award through One Kind Act a Day for its work to spread kindness throughout local schools and businesses.