The Vitality Project in Albert Lea, MN came to it's official end on Tuesday evening. A project spearheaded by Dan Buetter, founder of Blue Zones and supported by AARP and United Health Foundation, the project focused on changing the health of a community through a 6 week intensive application of those principles found to increase longevity.
Some of the successes of the project included the following: 2,300 people officially participated; a walking/biking trail was completed around Fountain Lake; thousands of feet of sidewalk were added; hundreds of kids walked to school in walking school buses and more than 600 citizens joined walking groups; nearly a thousand Albert Leans took part in purpose workshops; and two-thirds of locally owned restaurants added longevity-promoting foods to their menus.
For additional information on the community project in Albert Lea, MN visit:
Good Morning America
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VitalityProject/vitality-project-make-town-healthier/story?id=8818625
Front page story in the Pioneer Press
AP story –
The Vitality Project provides an excellent model for other communities as they begin the journey to transform the health of their citizens.
