Every Reason To Be Blue
Healthiest State Initiative
Have you heard about the Iowa Healthy State Initiative? An exciting component of this initiative is the vision to transform 10 Iowa communities into Blue Zones Communities. What are Blue Zones®? They are the healthiest, happiest, longest-living cultures on earth. Did you know that there are people right here in our community working towards this goal? United Way of Mahaska County, the Mahaska County YMCA, Hy-Vee Food Stores, and Fareway Stores, Inc., have teamed up to lead the effort to make our community a Blue Zone community. John Stearns, Fareway manager, said his team at Fareway are all learning about the Blue Zone program and “will be participating in the Start Somewhere walk downtown on October 7 at noon to raise awareness.”
Rather than asking people to increase their will power, the Blue Zones Community model works to improve environments. Little changes to your home, work, school, social, physical, and policy environments can make healthy choices the easy choices, so that well-being improves naturally.
The Blue Zones Community model coordinates strong existing programs, brings in experts to inspire, train and provide innovative best practices, and ultimately organizes programs to provide greater options for physical, emotional, and social health. Ten communities that demonstrate the greatest passion, interest and ability to bring their community together, will receive assistance from national experts to develop and implement a blueprint for making permanent environment, policy and social network changes that transition people into healthier behaviors. Communities will be selected based, in part, on the number of its citizens that pledge their support. To help make Oskaloosa a Blue Zones Community, you have two ways you can help. One is to sign up online at www.bluezonesproject.com/citizens/signup or by texting BZP to 772937. Dawn Collins, Mahaska County YMCA executive director, indicated that we need individual community members to support Oskaloosa’s letter of interest for the Blue Zones® grant by completing the pledge form. “You can do this online, by text or call the Y and we’ll help you over the phone. It’s simple, and we need your support!” You can get up to date information and follow our quest to become a Blue Zone on facebook at Mahaska Blue Zone. ‘Like’ it today!
On October 7, 2011, at noon, we’re kicking off the Healthiest State Initiative by walking one kilometer together as a community. Wherever you are – work, school, home, church – take about 12 minutes out of your day to go on a quick one kilometer (0.62 miles) walk with friends, family, neighbors or co-workers. “We have 20 walks registered throughout the county and more will be registered this coming week,” reported Stearns.
If you would like to participate in a walk in your community, please go to www.iowahealthieststate.com to find the location nearest you. Several sites in Oskaloosa and the surrounding communities are already online, and are being added weekly. If you would like more information about hosting a walk site, or would like to join in the efforts to make our community a Blue Zone community, please contact Dawn Collins at 673-8411, or Brianne Fitzgerald at 673-6043.
