Community representatives are busy this week preparing a final pitch that they will make next week for Danville being named an All-America City.
Their presentation will be made before a panel of national judges from the National Civic League. Each year, the non-profit organization bestows an All-America City Award to 10 localities across the country that best demonstrate civic innovation, inclusiveness and effectiveness in tackling critical challenges.
Danville is one of 20 finalists for the 2020 All-America City Award.
“It’s a great honor for the city of Danville to be considered as a finalist,” Danville City Manager Ken Larking says. “Even getting to this point is great. Of course, we want to be named an All-America City, and I think we have an excellent chance to do that.”
For 2020, communities were invited to showcase their work specifically on creating a healthy community for all, particularly populations experiencing poorer health outcomes. In Danville, the work of health equity is not that only of the city government but the work of many partners.
Those partners include:
- Danville Parks and Recreation
- Danville Regional Foundation
- The Health Collaborative
- Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
- Virginia Department of Health
- Averett University
- DRHA
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
Danville’s application for the All-America Award highlighted three health equity efforts: the Fit Mobile program, the work of the Danville Youth Health Equity Leadership Institute (YHELI), and the Community Health Worker initiative.
For those efforts, Danville was named in March as a finalist for the 2020 All-America City Award.
Danville representatives were invited initially to travel to Denver in June to compete for the award, but that event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, Danville will join finalists on Aug. 17-19 in a virtual conference, during which the cities will make final presentations on why they should be named an All-America City by showcasing their successes in improving the health and well-being of their residents.
The Danville team will showcase its presentation on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 18. This week, the team is busy with rehearsals.
Also, a social media blitz is underway in support of their efforts. Citizens are encouraged to check out the Facebook pages of each partner agency for giveaways of t-shirts, face masks, car clings, caps and cups.
On Aug. 19, an award ceremony will be held virtually to announce the 10 winners.
The other 2020 All-American City finalists are Algoma, Wis.; Douglasville, Ga; El Paso, Texas; Mason City, Iowa; Franklin, Tenn.; Harlingen, Texas; Highland Park, Ill.; Hopkinsville, Ky.; Logansport, Ind.; Mason City, Iowa; Miami Gardens, Fla.; Muncie, Ind.; Pitt County, N.C.; Portsmouth, Ohio; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Roanoke, Va.; Rochester, N.Y.; Sumter, S.C.; and Topeka, Kan.
For more information, visit www.danvilleva.gov/AAC2020.