TAMPA, Fla. – South Bend's All-America City delegation turned cartwheels, described community projects that inspired and tickled audience members, and had the most popular exhibit at the 2009 All-America City Awards. But it wasn't enough for the top honor.
Yet members of the South Bend delegation were honored to compete as a finalist for the nation's most prestigious civic award and view the effort as yet another step in its journey into the promise of a high-tech future.
With a presentation rooted in collaborative partnerships that are revitalizing the Northeast Neighborhood, reducing obesity among youth, and reforming city government with innovation and technology, South Bend demonstrated a spirit that tackles tough challenges with a "Yes We Can" spirit.
"This is a very exciting time to be living in South Bend, not simply because of this national recognition but because of the great partnerships in this community – public and private, commercial and residential, university and nonprofit – that demonstrate the collaboration, civic engagement and innovation of the All-America City award," said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "We saw great presentations by all the cities and have seen new ideas that we can bring home to South Bend. The whole experience reminded us what a great honor it is to be a finalist in the All-America City competition."
South Bend was among 32 finalists announced in March for the competition after demonstrating qualitative and quantitative impacts in the community over the past five years on the three projects. An 18-member delegation, supported entirely by private contributions, made the case for South Bend with a 10-minute oral presentation on stage before hundreds of civic leaders. The presentation shared South Bend's experience in:
- Being designated in 2007 by the federal government as one of the nation's first WeCan! cities after a two-year pilot project for the national program (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition).
- Working for greater efficiency and innovation in government through collaborative partnerships to streamline government services and high-tech solutions, including energy-saving LED traffic signals, computer-heated greenhouses and computerized monitoring of combined sewer overflows.
- Revitalizing its Northeast Neighborhood through a public-private partnership involving neighbors, major employers and the City of South Bend – an effort culminating in Eddy Street Commons and Innovation Park at Notre Dame.
In addition, representatives from other cities experienced a taste of South Bend, dipping into a chocolate fountain from the South Bend Chocolate Caf, seeing models of classic Studebaker automobiles and catching a vision of new opportunities for nanoelectronics and high-tech development in connection with Ignition Park. Volunteers from Erica's Craft & Sewing Center made a quilt square highlighting iconic South Bend images for incorporation into a quilt of all 32 All-America City finalists for 2009.
Community leaders were honored by the city's participation in the competition, South Bend's first application to the competition in at least 12 years.
"It is truly an honor to have our community nominated as an All-America City. Being recognized as one of the best communities in our great Country is something that we can all be proud of," said Mark Dobson, president and CEO of the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce. "We are proud of the leadership of this great City and appreciate all that they have done. Thanks to our Honorable Mayor and to the delegation for working so hard to make this nomination happen. We are truly blessed to have visionaries in our community."
Being selected as a finalist in the competition also extended to representatives of Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and the University of Notre Dame, which are part of the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization and had representatives in the delegation.
"For more than 165 years, we have been proud to call South Bend our home," said the Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame. "It is a place of enduring values and progressive vision, and has been and continues to be a wonderful partner in many exciting projects. Though it was not selected for recognition this year, South Bend is always an All-America City in our eyes."
"Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center is proud to be part of South Bend," said Nancy Hellyer, president and CEO. Recognition as a finalist for All-America City honors is a tremendous testament to everything this community is doing to remain a viable city in the 21st Century, which is another reason why our hospital will always have a presence here and continue to do our part in meeting South Bend's 21st Century healthcare needs."
"Win, lose, or draw – we were among the cities who shared the honor of being designated the top 32 cities in America, even without the competition, our community and all of us, are winners because of these remarkable outcomes," said Philip A. Newbold, president and CEO of Memorial Hospital of South Bend. "We are proud of our hometown, South Bend, Indiana."
Each community seeking the All-America City award was required to have at least one of the programs it described focused on youth. South Bend highlighted the WeCan! program, for which the federal government selected the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department as one of the first three cities to implement the initiative.
"On behalf of the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department we are thrilled to have our "We Can" healthy lifestyles program recognized as a component of our city's consideration as an All America City in 2009," said Phil St. Clair, the department's director. "We pride ourselves on the very principals that drive successful programs like the WeCan! initiative. We know our community has benefited by those city residents who have successfully developed healthier life styles as a result of the city's effort to create awareness and education for a healthier quality of life."
"I would suspect that with the experiences that the exceptional staff of the Parks and Recreation Department have had creating and developing programs for the youth and adults for our city we will continue to be considered for the award of "All-America City" by the judges," said Robert A. Henry, president of the Board of Park Commissioners.
South Bend previously was named an All-America City in 1967, four years after Studebaker Corp. closed its manufacturing operations. This year's recognition comes a little more than a year after the nation's leading computer chip makers selected the University of Notre Dame as home to the nation's newest national nanoelectronics research institute. That decision has ignited South Bend's efforts to bring high-tech development to the city through Indiana's first dual-site, state-certified technology park, which consists of Innovation Park at Notre Dame and Ignition Park in the former Studebaker Corridor.
The community is invited to welcome returning members of the South Bend delegation at South Bend Regional Airport, gathering at 11:45 a.m. Saturday outside Concourse A. There will be brief remarks from Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, who led the delegation on the privately funded effort.
South Bend's bid to become an All-America City has received more than $35,000 in direct financial support and thousands of dollars worth of in-kind contributions from community partners. Supporters include 1st Source Bank, CB Richard Ellis/Cressy & Everett, Communitywide Federal Credit Union, Crowe Horwath, Downtown South Bend Inc., Erica's Craft & Sewing Center, Holladay Corp., Johnson Controls, Memorial Hospital of South Bend, Press Ganey, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce, South Bend Chocolate Co., South Bend Regional Airport, Teachers Credit Union, The Blue Waters Group, the University of Notre Dame and Wells Fargo Bank.
In its 60-year history, the All-America City Award has been achieved by more than 500 neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties and regions across the country.
Headquartered in Denver, the National Civic League strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation's people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. Founded in 1894 by Theodore Roosevelt and other government reformers, NCL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that accomplishes its mission through training, technical assistance, publishing, facilitating community-wide strategic planning and awards programs. For more information on NCL and its programs, visit www.ncl.org
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