By Seth Daniel
Accepting the Culture of Health prize at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation headquarters in Princeton, NJ, are Jose Iraheta, Leslie Aldrich, City Manager Tom Ambrosino, Sylvia Ramirez, Dan Cortez and Roseann Bongiovanni.
On October 11, a group of Chelsea stakeholders and residents made the trip to Princeton, New Jersey to officially accept the City’s Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health prize.
The national event was held at the Foundation’s headquarters, where six representatives from Chelsea were present to receive the honor.
Chelsea had been announced as the winner of the prize the previous month, and the official acceptance occurred at the New Jersey ceremony. A community celebration in Chelsea to mark the achievement is tentatively planned for November 16.
The Prize recognizes communities that view health as a collective value and acknowledge that all stakeholders have responsibility in promoting healthier populations. Selected from over 200 communities nationwide, Chelsea earned this recognition through its commitment to developing innovative approaches, capitalizing on local assets, and mobilizing community partners to advance health for all residents. Chelsea is among eight communities that received the Prize in 2017. Across the nation, 35 communities have received this prestigious award over the past five years, with four others from Massachusetts among them. Previous recipients include: Cambridge (2013), Fall River (2013), Everett (2015), and Lawrence (2015).