Activate Elgin focuses on elected officials' support

After more than five years working as a coalition of community leaders in schools, hospitals, churches and city government, Activate Elgin is turning its sights on elected officials.

Randy Reopelle, director of Elgin Parks and Recreation, said the new focus for coalition partners is part of a wider push in March during national nutrition month. The group hopes to start regular, ongoing dialogue with local and state representatives.

“We need elected officials to champion these projects,” Reopelle said during an Activate Elgin community planning meeting Wednesday.

Though none of the state representatives were at the meeting, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain contributed to the brainstorming session, offering ideas like regular neighborhood walks for residents to get active while discussing city issues with the mayor.

Reopelle said he hopes Sen. Michael Noland and Reps, Fred Crespo, Keith Farnham and Tim Schmitz will get involved in upcoming Activate Elgin meetings, held on the second Monday of the month and open to the public.

The genesis of Activate Elgin came from a desire to bring together all the different groups working to make Elgin area residents healthier. The coalition focuses on prevention and getting active before chronic health issues become a problem.

Jane Maxwell, Fit for Kids coordinator with the Kane County Health Department, said a local health assessment showed less than 11 percent of people in northern Kane County eating enough fruits and vegetables with two out of three adults overweight or obese. In both statistics, the county ranks worse than state and national averages.

“We have a role and a purpose moving forward,” Maxwell said. “We certainly see our community as being at risk.”

Kaptain, who has been involved with Activate Elgin since before he was mayor, told a core group of members Wednesday they should focus on ideas that are free or cheap because money is scarce at the municipal level.

But he pointed to the efforts of the coalition as a need for the long term, as prevention options keep people healthy and save the community millions over the years.

“We need to encourage the healthy things that people like to do,” Kaptain said. “People seem to want to go that way so let's help them.”

The next Activate Elgin meeting will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. April 9 at Feeding Greater Elgin, 1553 Commerce Drive. For details, find Activate Elgin on Facebook.