Active RVA Awards Luncheon Honors Over 130 Certified Organizations
Sports Backers hosted its third annual Active RVA Awards Luncheon presented by Cigna on March 3, honoring 73 area schools and 63 companies for earning Active RVA Certification. During the luncheon, the Richmond Region Fitness Scorecard was also unveiled, with the region earning a grade of C+. Mark Fenton, a national leader on the topic of engineering physical activity opportunities into schools, workplaces, and communities, led workshops in the morning and also served as keynote speaker during the luncheon, challenging the audience to push for more infrastructure improvements to foster activity opportunities across the region.
In addition to honoring certified companies and schools, Active RVA presented the first Infrastructure and Changemaker Awards. The Infrastructure Award, recognizing a project with a positive impact on the active infrastructure of the region, went to the Virginia Capital Trail, while the Changemaker Award went to Greater Richmond Fit4Kids for their work promoting healthy environments for area youth and inspiring them to adopt healthy eating and fitness as a way of life.
Richmond Region Fitness Scorecard: C+ grade
The data points used for the scorecard calculation are a combination of data used in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) American Fitness Index (which are reported by reputable agencies and organizations for the metropolitan area), estimates of youth risk behaviors used in the Virginia Atlas of Community Health, and the current inventory of paved, multi-use bike trails and lanes in the Richmond region, as measured and compiled by Sports Backers’ staff. The data used includes the following (applies to adult population unless otherwise noted):
- Percent any physical activity or exercise in the last 30 days
- Percent meeting CDC aerobic activity guidelines
- Percent meeting both CDC aerobic and strength activity guidelines
- Percent obese
- Percent in excellent or very good health
- Percent with angina or coronary heart disease
- Percent with diabetes
- Percent of youth(age 14-19) classified as obese
- Percent of youth (age 14-19) classified as inactive
- Percent bicycling or walking to work
- Miles of paved multi-use trails and bike lanes in the Richmond region
A greater weight was assigned to the first three data points pertaining to physical activity, as these are good indicators of the overall activity levels of residents of the Richmond region. The remaining eight data points were also weighted, and the Richmond Region’s data scores were then divided by the target goal for each indicator (or in cases where it is better to have a score that is equal to or lower than the target goal, the target goal was divided by Richmond’s score).
The resulting number was then multiplied by the assigned weight for that indicator to reach an overall score for that category. The 11 category scores were combined to reach the overall physical activity score for the Richmond region.
This scorecard is produced annually as a way to measure and celebrate the community’s goals and achievements. Last year’s grade was a C.
Active RVA Certification for companies and schools
The Sports Backers established the Active RVA certification and awards program to recognize the region’s exceptional employers and schools that are implementing innovative programs to promote physical activity. 73 schools and 63 companies were recognized at the luncheon for earning Active RVA certification, serving as role models in the community. All companies and schools recognized took home a commemorative plaque.
Active RVA Certified Schools
| A.M Davis Elementary School | Gayton Elementary School | Nuckols Farm Elementary |
| Alberta Smith Elementary School | George H. Moody Middle School | O.B. Gates Elementary |
| Bailey Bridge Middle School | George Wythe High School | Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary |
| Bellevue Elementary School | Ginter Park Elementary School | Open High School |
| Bellwood Elementary School | Goochland Elementary School | Pemberton Elementary School |
| Bettie Weaver Elementary School | Goochland High School | Randolph Elementary School |
| Bon Air Elementary School | Goochland Middle School | Richmond Community High School |
| Byrd Elementary School | Huguenot High School | Rivers Edge Elementary School |
| Carver Middle School | J.B. Fisher Elementary School | Robious Middle School |
| Chesterfield Community High School | J.E.B. Stuart Elementary School | Salem Church Middle School |
| Chickahominy Middle School | J.E.J. Moore Middle School | Spring Run Elementary School |
| Clover Hill Elementary School | J.L. Francis Elementary School | St. Andrew’s School |
| Collegiate School | Jackson Davis Elementary School | St. Christopher’s School |
| Crestwood Elementary School | Johnson Elementary School | Swansboro Elementary School |
| Dumbarton Elementary School | Kaechele Elementary School | Swift Creek Elementary School |
| Elizabeth Davis Middle School | L.C. Bird High School | Swift Creek Middle School |
| Elizabeth Holladay Elementary School | Lakeside Elementary School | Thomas Jefferson High School |
| Elizabeth Redd Elementary School | Linwood Holton Elementary School | Three Chopt Elementary School |
| Elizabeth Scott Elementary School | Manchester Middle School | Tomahawk Creek Middle School |
| Enon Elementary School | Marguerite Christian Elementary | Twin Hickory Elementary School |
| Evergreen Elementary School | Mary Munford Elementary School | Westover Hills Elementary School |
| Falling Creek Middle School | Midlothian High School | Woodville Elementary School |
| Fox Elementary School | Midlothian Middle School | Woolridge Elementary School |
| Franklin Military Academy | Millwood School | |
| G.H. Reid Elementary School | Montrose Elementary School |
Active RVA Certified Companies
| Allianz Global Assistance | Goochland County Government | Royall & Company |
| Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield | Greater Richmond Fit4Kids | Science Museum of Virginia |
| Avertest | GRTC Transit System | Scott Insurance |
| Berkley Mid-Atlantic Group | Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. | Sports Backers |
| Blue Sky Fund | Henrico County Police Division | Storefront for Community Design |
| Bon Secours Richmond Health System | Heritage Wealth Advisors | Strategic Solutions of Virginia |
| C&F Finance | HHHunt Corporation | Supervalu, Inc. |
| CarMax | Hirschler Fleischer | The Brink’s Company |
| Chesterfield County Government & School Employees | Independent Container Line | The Frontier Project, LLC |
| Cigna | Infilco Degremont | The Roseline Financial Group |
| City of Richmond Government & School Employees | James River Insurance Company | Timmons Group |
| Community Health Solutions | Kings Dominion | Town of Ashland Government |
| Connexions Loyalty | KSA Interiors | Tricycle Gardens |
| Dodson Property Management | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | University of Richmond |
| Dominion Payroll Services | Marsh & McLennan Agency | Virginia Biotechnology Research Park |
| Dominion Resources | Owens & Minor | Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists |
| Donley’s | Retail Merchants Association | Virginia Center for Health Innovation |
| Essentra | Richmond Ambulance Authority | Virginia Housing Development Authority |
| Free Agents Marketing | Richmond Behavioral Health Authority | Virginia Union University |
| Gather | Richmond City Health District | Wells, Coleman & Company |
| Genworth Financial | Richmond Regional Planning District Commission | YMCA of Greater Richmond |
Sports Backers are now accepting applications at www.activerva.org from schools and companies wishing to become Active RVA certified.
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