30 Minutes spoke with Beyond Tucson advocates about 2018 events as well as ongoing objectives for health. Beyond Tucson was founded in the aftermath of the tragic January 8th, 2011 shootings at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ “Congress on Your Corner Event” as a way to honor the people who died or were injured or traumatized. As the first anniversary approached, family members of slain congressional aide Gabe Zimmerman saw an opportunity to not only pay tribute to their son and the other victims, but to provide meaningful activities for community members to reconnect with each other while participating in health-related outdoor activities. The organization now provides year round programming with a special focus on the 2nd Saturday of January.
We were joined by Beyond Tucson Project Manager Michelle Crow, UA Doctor of Public Health Candidate Deanna Lewis, and Beyond Tucson Community Outreach coordinator Diego Martinez Barerra. Regular weekly weekly community walks take place on Wednesdays at El Pueblo Community Center and Thursdays at Mercado San Agustin in conjunction with the Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market.
What is BEYOND?
BEYOND is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our community. BEYOND encourages community members to adopt a comprehensive approach to their physical and mental health through the BEYOND Rx Health Formula, grounded in four key principles: exploring nature; good nutrition; physical movement; and community connections. BEYOND kicks off the New Year with a community-wide outdoor event that takes place in several spectacular locations across Pima County on the second Saturday of January.
Research shows that by addressing health concerns with a more comprehensive approach, we get the best possible outcomes in terms of overall social, mental, and physical wellbeing.
The BEYOND Rx Health Formula encourages participants to explore four key pillars of health activities that have been shown to dramatically improve both individual and community health.
The 4 pillars of the BEYOND Rx Health Formula are:
EXPLORE: Getting outdoors and spending time in nature
MOVE: Engaging in regular physical activity
NOURISH: Eating the right foods, avoiding the bad
CONNECT: Connecting with one another as a community
Recorded and produced by Amanda Shauger.
