Verona joins Allegheny County's Live Well Allegheny initiative to promote healthy living

Verona officials are pushing for ways residents can live healthier through Allegheny County’s Live Well Allegheny campaign.

The nearly half square mile town recently joined the more than 60 communities, 51 restaurants, 32 workplaces and 18 school districts already in the program designed to promote physical health, mental wellness, personal and community safety and other related efforts.

“There’s opportunities to get things for healthy living,” council President Sandy Drabicki-Bell said. “Hopefully, we’ll get materials we can share through community groups, council meetings and the website.”

She highlighted several things the borough already is doing to promote wellness.

Verona offers a farmer’s market and is working with officials from Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum to develop a biking and walking trail. The police department has an annual bike rally to promote bicycle safety and ensure children have helmets.

Riverview School District, which serves Verona and Oakmont, joined Live Well Allegheny last year. Oakmont has not joined yet.

Live Well Allegheny was launched in January 2014 by county Executive Rich Fitzgerald. The campaign is lead by Allegheny County Board of Health and health department Director Dr. Karen Hacker.

Hacker encouraged more municipalities and organizations to join the effort.

“It has been a pleasure to watch the progress made with the Live Well Allegheny initiative,” said Hacker. “I became director a few months before the campaign was launched and it has been a signature effort of ours throughout my tenure. It is incredible to see all the work done over the years by community partners, municipalities, school districts, places we work and places we eat. While we have had significant successes, there is more to do. If you haven’t joined the Live Welleffort, please apply now.”

County council Vice President Nick Futules, who represents Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and neighboring communities in District 7, is hopeful the borough will be able to grow with the program.

“I am so pleased to learn that Verona is the newest community in District 7 that has made a commitment to improving the health and wellness of residents,” said Futules. “I applaud the community’s commitments and look forward to seeing the results of its efforts.”

Bridges and Bourbon, a Penn Avenue restaurant in Pittsburgh, also recently joined Live Well Allegheny.

More information about the campaign is available at www.livewellallegheny.com.