LYNN — Public Health Week kicked off Monday afternoon as residents set their sneakers to the concrete, walking around the Common to celebrate the beginning of a week of festivities hosted by the Public Health Department.

Walkers started and stopped on the steps of City Hall, where Public Health Director Lisa Tobin spoke as a flag with “Public health saves lives” written on it was raised.

“Public health is part of everything we do. I think since COVID, more people realized that legitimately everything you do has a public health lens available to it,” Tobin told The Item before the walk.

After the flag was raised, Tobin introduced the winner of an essay contest the department held for students in Joseph Skahan’s science classes at Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School.

Tobin said she got the idea for a contest after Skahan asked her to teach a lesson about environmental science. Afterward, she wanted to know what the students had learned.

As a result, the department and Skahan held the essay contest, with a prompt asking students what public health means to them.

The winner of the contest, Christine Wise, recited her essay on the steps of City Hall.

“Public health is crucial because it ends with access to essential health services to everyone, regardless of their social (or) economic status,” Wise read.

Wise then emphasized the significance of vaccines.

“Without vaccines, there’d be millions of babies, children, adults, and the elderly dying from diseases that could’ve been prevented,” Wise read.

Wise won $50 for her efforts. Calvin Kortesmaai, Siggy Calkins, and Cory LeBrasseur also participated in the contest and walked across the Common.

The Public Health Department will host multiple events to celebrate Public Health Week. The calendar for the week’s events can be found on the city’s website at https://www.lynnma.gov/city_government/departments/publichealth.