Celebrate Cedar Rapids’ Blue Zones certification on Tuesday

Since 2013 Cedar Rapids has been working hard to make well-being a way of life in our community through the Blue Zones Project. Sponsored by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, in collaboration with Healthways, Inc., and Blue Zones LLC, Blue Zones Project is a community well-being improvement initiative. The project is designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to environment, policy, and social networks.

Over the last three years, community leaders, volunteers, and organizations in Cedar Rapids have made changes to local policy and have engaged citizens, worksites, restaurants, grocery stores, schools, and other local organizations to create a place where people can live longer, better lives. As the largest Blue Zones Project demonstration community in Iowa, we all should be very proud of the milestones reached as a result of these efforts, including:

' 51 businesses, including 15 of our top employers, have become designated Blue Zones Worksites®, making a commitment to promote healthy lifestyles and offer healthy alternatives in their facilities

' 25 percent of schools have become a designated Blue Zones School®, teaching and promoting healthy lifestyle choices that will last a lifetime

' 37 locally owned restaurants have become a designated Blue Zones Restaurant®, offering healthy menu options and making it easier for patrons to make healthy choices

' 25 percent of grocery stores have become a designated Blue Zones Grocery Store®, making finding and purchasing healthy foods easier in our community

' More than 30,000 citizens joined the Blue Zones Project initiative and pledged to make at least one healthy lifestyle change

Because of these efforts and more, Cedar Rapids has now achieved certification as an official Blue Zones Community.

To celebrate this outstanding accomplishment and recognize the efforts of the entire community, Cedar Rapids area residents are invited to attend a Blue Zones Community Certification Celebration on Tuesday, March 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Helen G. Nassif YMCA. This free public event will feature fun, family-friendly activities, cooking demonstrations, free healthy snacks and giveaways, and more than $2,500 in prizes.

Cedar Rapids has made tremendous progress toward enhanced well-being for all our residents. This will make our city and the state of Iowa a better place to live now and for future generations. Please consider attending on March 8 to celebrate our progress and learn about future city initiatives and opportunities to further enhance your, your family, and your community's health and well-being.

While our official Blue Zones Community certification is an exciting accomplishment, our focus on community well-being cannot end here. The City of Cedar Rapids is committed to developing and supporting ongoing efforts to continue our path toward a healthier, happier community.

' Ron Corbett is Mayor of Cedar Rapids. Comments: Ron.Corbett@cedar-rapids.org; (319) 286-5051