WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today congratulated the City of Vicksburg on its selection by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for its annual “RWJF Culture of Health Prize.” Vicksburg is one of eight U.S. cities selected in 2017 for the honor, which includes a $25,000 cash prize and membership in a network of 35 other prize-winning communities that have demonstrated “unwavering efforts to ensure all residents have the opportunity to live healthier lives.”

“Vicksburg is an example of what can happen when concerned citizens rally around a common cause,” Wicker said. “I am hopeful that this award will empower local leaders to continue improving lives and providing an example for other Mississippi communities to follow.”

“I am proud of Vicksburg and its leaders for working together to improve the health and quality of life for its citizens.  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health designation can help motivate greater achievement in Warren County and across our state,” Cochran said.

Chosen from more than 200 applicants, Vicksburg’s notable efforts demonstrated excellence in six criteria: defining health in the broadest possible terms; committing to sustainable systems changes and policy-oriented long-term solutions; cultivating a shared and deeply-held belief in the importance of equal opportunity for health; harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members; securing and making the most of available resources; and measuring and sharing progress and results.

The full release from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Shape Up Mississippi can be found here.