Bluezones

You're going to be hearing the term "bluezone project" a lot in the near future. Today I (Jen) went to an informational meeting for those communities that are interested in applying to become a bluezone. It was super inspiring and informative. Folks, we want this! The benefits both in the short and long term are huge. The more I learn about it, the more I believe this is something we, as a community, need to strive for.

What is it? I posted briefly about it last week but I'm happy to remind you. National geographic author Dan Buettner researched and wrote a book about areas in the world where people are living longer and why that phenomenon occurs. He found several key components that contributed to these longer lifespans. Now he and his team are choosing communities in Iowa to bring that information to our town in order to enhance Grinnell. I'm not talking that they'd come here one day and some folks spend a nice lunch hearing a PowerPoint presentation. I'm talking about months of study and training and time dedicated to truly creating a healthier version of Grinnell across all our different socio-economic demographics. And when I say "healthier" I mean physically, socially, and emotionally. It's a big stinkin' deal.

They are not going to consider communities that don't have a citizen buy-in. We have to be ready for them to come and the initial piece we need is for members of our community to show their support. Here's how:

You can text "BZP" to 772937

or you can go online to http://www.bluezonesproject.com/citizens/signup and select "I'm a citizen" and fill out the information required

It takes less than 5 minutes and costs nothing.

The percentage of citizens that sign up factor into the decision making process. Anyone over the age of 13 is eligible to contribute. At first we were very low in the top 100 but luckily Grinnell has made a big jump up to around 13th for citizen support. Obviously, that's not enough. We've got to show that we are a community that is invested in our health. So spread the word because we want to be a bluezone!