In a City Council Meeting on February 16, Klamath Falls’ Mayor Carol Westfall read aloud the proclamation declaring that March 12 will be known as “Blue Zones Day.”
The announcement comes approximately two months after the community made the announcement that after 6 years of hard work, Klamath Falls became the first certified Blue Zones Community® in the Pacific Northwest.
“We are proud of Klamath Falls for achieving this milestone and honored to be recognized as the first certified Blue Zones Community in the Pacific Northwest,” said Klamath Falls Mayor, Carol Westfall.
Brought to Oregon through an innovative sponsorship by Cambia Health Foundation in collaboration with Sharecare and Blue Zones, the local Blue Zones Project initiative encourages all Oregon communities to optimize their surroundings to make the healthy choice the easy choice. This initiative is intended to inspire community members to improve their well-being.
Cambia Health Foundation, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Cascade Health Alliance, the City of Klamath Falls, and Klamath County provided financial backing to support the project in Klamath Falls.
In 2015, Klamath Falls was selected to be the first Blue Zones Project demonstration site in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, local leaders, volunteers, and organizations throughout the community have worked to achieve certification status.
To celebrate Blue Zones Day, local leaders have a full day of COVID-appropriate events planned. The day will not only celebrate the community certification achievement, but also the 2018 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health prize, which honors U.S. communities working at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all.
Residents of Klamath Falls are asked to wear their Blue Zones Project t-shirts on March 12, 2021 and share in the well-being journey, by participating virtually, from a distance, or in-person by registering at www.healthyklamath.org/bluezonesday. A ribbon cutting ceremony planned for 9 am at Sugarman’s Corner in downtown Klamath Falls will be live streamed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bluezonesprojectklamathfalls.
For more information about the certified Blue Zones Community achievement, please visit www.healthyklamath.org/bluezonescertified.
About Blue Zones Project
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Established in 2010, Blue Zones Project is based on research by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Currently, 56 communities across North America have joined Blue Zones Project, impacting more than 3.8 million citizens. Blue Zones Project is a partnership between Blue Zones, LLC, and Sharecare, Inc. For more information, visit bluezonesproject.com. Klamath Falls is Oregon’s first Blue Zones Project Demonstration Community. To learn more about Blue Zones Project, contact the Blue Zones Project team in Klamath Falls at BlueZonesProject@healthyklamath.org, or visit www.healthyklamath.org/bluezones.