Chester County is taking another step toward becoming the healthiest in the nation through an innovative new proposal called WalkWorks ChesCo! that has just been named to the HealthyCommunity50 list of finalists in the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge.

Already one of the country’s foremost places to live, Chester County is making strides to pave the way for walkers to get around, and the $10,000 HealthyCommunity50 award from the Aetna Foundation, the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties will only help it pick up the pace.

“Our proposed program, WalkWorks ChesCo!, is designed to promote, educate and empower residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle,” Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell. “We’re asking individuals throughout the county to make the decision to walk, and we will make that decision easier by creating programs and environments that favor walking.”

As WalkWorks Chesco! continues to grow its alliance of community partners, it will vie for more grant money — from $25,000 to as much as $500,000. The winners will be judged on their promise to improve their community’s healthy behaviors, environmental exposures, community safety, built environment or social/economic factors.

Read more about the Chester County honor and its WalkWorks ChesCo! Program on West Chester Patch here, and check out previous VISTA Today local health coverage here.