Missoula County Commissioner Jean Curtiss will be boarding a plane next week and flying to Washington, D.C. to meet with First Lady Michelle Obama to be honored for her role in the organization 'Let's Move Missoula'.

Curtiss will be meeting with other government officials across the country to share strategies that have been effective in battling childhood obesity.

"I got an email the other day and wondered if it was real," Curtiss said on Tuesday. "I'm the elected official that's on the "Let's Move Missoula' documents, so I guess that's how I got picked, but, yeah, I'm very honored to be asked by the First Lady to represent Let's Move Missoula at this gathering of elected officials in D.C. next week."

Curtiss will be attending two events in Washington, D.C.

"There's one that's sponsored by the National League of Cities and Towns and I've been asked to be on a panel there," Curtiss said. There's a small group of elected officials that have been invited to learn from each other and share ideas and policies we've changed. Then, the event that the First Lady has invited me to will actually be at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, across the street from the White House. I'm not sure what's going to happen there, except I'll be visiting with the First Lady."

Curtiss said the trip will only last a few days.

"I leave Tuesday and the events are all on Wednesday the 10th, and then I'm back on Thursday."

Curtiss said she is proud to be invited to meet the First Lady, but there are still many goals to be accomplished in Missoula.

"We have food deserts here in Missoula," Curtiss said. "You probably grew up where you could walk to the Mom and Pop grocery stores and we don't have those anymore. So, now it's the convenience store or McDonald's that are the closest to people"

"We had a summit last year on childhood obesity and over 200 people came. One of the speakers said they can tell by looking at your brain how much exercise makes a difference in kids. With good food and some exercise, we're all going to be healthier and smarter. Out of that summit, some great goals came forward, and many local organizations are working hard to make Missoula a healthy community."

County Commissioner Jean Curtiss

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