WVC City Spotlight Employee Newsletter

July 2026

Sun's Out, Arms Out!

Your help is needed to save lives this summer! Blood donations drop sharply during the summer months, but hospital demand remains high.

The West Valley City Fire Department is hosting another “Arms Out” Blood Drive event on Friday, July 10th, at Fire Station 74. Blood donations are happening from 12 - 6 PM, but if you stop by between 1 - 3 PM, you can get a free snow cone and check out the fire station! (Blood donations are not required for the free snow cone.)

These blood drives help support the WVCFD’s Whole Blood Program, which allows crews to give whole blood to patients before they get to the hospital—giving them a greater chance at surviving after blood loss.

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There are plenty of spots available to donate, so please sign up today at redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code WVCFD.

Employee Pickleball Tournament

Think you’ve got the best pickleball game as a West Valley City employee? Time to prove it! West Valley City employees are invited to compete in the West Valley City Municipal Mash Pickleball Tournament on Friday, August 21st at the Centennial Outdoor Pickleball Courts!

Whether you're a seasoned pickleball pro or just learning what a "kitchen violation" is, this tournament is all about friendly competition, bragging rights, and a whole lot of fun. There will be a Beginner Division and an Intermediate Division with awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place teams. And come dressed to impress; there is a prize for the Best Dressed Duo!

Important: Only one member of your team must be a West Valley City employee, so grab a spouse, friend, family member, coworker, or your favorite pickleball partner and get signed up!

Date: August 21, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM start time
Location: Centennial Outdoor Pickleball Courts
Entry Fee: $20 per team

Register online through the West Valley City Recreation Registration Portal. Find the tournament under the Special Events tab.

Spots will fill up fast, so don't miss your opportunity to showcase your skills, represent your department, and claim Municipal Mash glory!

Questions? Contact Rhett Gardiner at rhett.gardiner@wvc-ut.gov.

ICYMI: WestFest 2026

Kudos for a wonderful WestFest celebration! Many city employees put in a lot of time and a ton of work to make this year’s event a success. One of our many wins was an increase in participants for the Fun Run. An additional 30 runners signed up from last year—with over 105 runners participating. Check out some photos from this year’s WestFest, showing some of your colleagues in action!

Employee Spotlight: Shining a Light On Employees Who Go Above and Beyond

Jessica Willis, Victims Services Supervisor, is this month’s Employee Spotlight! She has been with West Valley City for 5 years. Jessica leads a team of victim advocates who are an essential part of the City’s support for crime victims.

“Thanks in large part to her leadership, the program is widely respected in the community and strongly valued by our prosecutors,” said Eric Bunderson, City Attorney. “Jessica and her team bring compassion, reliability, and professionalism to work that makes a real difference every day.”

Jessica says she is lucky because of her amazing team. “I see them working hard every day to serve the community to the best of their ability,” she said.

She enjoys serving the community by helping people pick up the pieces after a traumatic incident. “Occasionally we get to see someone really transform their lives after something horrible has happened and that is a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of,” she said.

What Jessica and her team do every day isn’t easy work. They are often asked, “How do you do it?”

“The work is heavy and it is hard, but it is important and rewarding. I maintain a wide variety of hobbies outside of work. I hike with my friends, family, and dogs, dabble in learning to play guitar, obsessively fly fish; I’ve been a beekeeper, I scuba dive. I am an avid nature lover. I try to focus on the things that make me happy and help me appreciate life when I’m not at work. For me, that is the answer to how I do it.”

Thank you for everything you do, and for being a great representative of West Valley City!

Play Ball! Employee Softball Tournament Recap

The annual West Valley City Department Softball Tournament was a grand display of athleticism and teamwork!

Five powerhouse teams battled it out for softball supremacy:

Public Works – The Cone Rangers
Police – Legal Force
Fire – Team Fire
Administration – Admin All-Stars
Parks & Recreation – The Liability Waivers

Team Fire made another impressive run to the championship game, hoping to repeat as tournament champions. But standing in their way were the surprisingly dominant athletes from Parks & Recreation's "The Liability Waivers." The Waivers put on a clinic and ultimately captured the coveted Golden Glove Trophy.

Great work, everyone!

Celebrate the 4th of July at the West Valley City July 4th Celebration!

West Valley City is following Governor Cox’s order to prohibit the use of personal fireworks due to the high fire danger in the state. The only fireworks permitted in the City will be for West Valley City’s professional fireworks show that will be held on July 4th at Centennial Park. The City is encouraging the public to come together for this fun community event, which will feature food trucks, a live DJ, WVC merch, and a fireworks show you don't want to miss!

Saturday, July 4
Food trucks and entertainment starting at 4 PM
Fireworks at 10 PM (The West Valley City Fire Department will be on hand to closely monitor the event.)
Centennial Park, 5405 West 3100 South

Come celebrate with us!

ICYMI: Chat with the Chief - Keeping Our Streets Safe

Miss West Valley City is Back!

The Miss West Valley City & Miss Teen West Valley City Scholarship Competition is back! The competition will take place on July 11th at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center from 6:30 - 9:30 PM. Scholarships up to $5,000 will be given to the winner.

A couple of West Valley City employees will be participating, so go and show your support!

Hump Day Buffet

Don’t miss the Hump Day Buffet this summer! Grab dinner from the food trucks at Centennial Park every Wednesday this summer, starting at 5 PM.

And the best part: Cosmo the Camel makes an appearance on the 1st Wednesday of each month! You’ll see from the photos that he’s a popular guest.

Childcare Discount for City Employees

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We’re excited to share a new childcare discount option for all city employees! ABC Great Beginnings is offering a 10% discount! ABC Great Beginnings offers Day Camps, Night/Weekend Childcare, Before and After School Programs, Infant and Toddler Care, and more! This offer is valid at any of their 10+ locations!

Sunshine Academy Preschool and Daycare is also offering a 20% discount to city employees. In addition, first responders can access discounted hourly rates, subject to availability.

Click the links to learn more about either of these opportunities!

Preventive Care Month

Preventive care is essential for maintaining health, detecting diseases early, preventing chronic conditions, and reducing healthcare costs.

Key Benefits of Preventive Care

Early Detection and Screening
Preventive care allows healthcare providers to detect diseases in their earliest stages, when treatment is more effective and outcomes are better. Screenings for conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease can prevent complications and improve long-term health outcomes (ajpmph.com).
Chronic Disease Prevention
Lifestyle counseling, vaccinations, and regular checkups help reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Adopting healthy habits like balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol can significantly lower disease risk (ajpmph.com).
Immunization and Infection Control
Vaccinations protect individuals from infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and influenza. Staying up to date with immunizations is crucial for both children and adults, as immunity can wane over time (clevelandclinic.org).
Cost Reduction and Health System Efficiency
Preventive care reduces the need for expensive emergency treatments and hospitalizations by addressing health issues before they become severe. This not only benefits individuals but also lowers overall healthcare costs for families and communities (ajpmph.com).
Personalized Health Management
Regular wellness exams and checkups allow providers to monitor overall health, track risk factors, and create personalized care plans. This proactive approach ensures that interventions are tailored to each individual’s needs, improving quality of life (clevelandclinic.org).

Stages of Preventive Care

Primary Prevention: Preventing disease before it occurs, e.g., vaccines and lifestyle counseling.
Secondary Prevention: Early detection of disease through screenings, e.g., mammograms and colonoscopies.
Tertiary Prevention: Managing existing conditions to prevent worsening, e.g., rehabilitation and chronic disease management (federa.org).