Blue Zones Kickoff Celebration for Central Maui

The Blue Zones Project for Central Maui hosts a kickoff celebration on Friday, Aug. 25, featuring National Geographic Explorer and New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner.

The event begins with food and music at 5 p.m. at the ʻĪao Theater, with doors opening at 6 p.m.  Those in attendance will discover how to get involved in transforming Central Maui into a place where healthy choices are easy to make, and learn how following Blue Zones principles can lead to a longer, better life.

This free, community-wide event is being held in conjunction with the Wailuku First Friday town party.

The central Maui communities of Kahului and Wailuku were selected as new demonstration sites for the Blue zones Project in Hawaiʻi in January.

As a demonstration site, Central Maui will receive access to national expertise and will be supported by a local team of well-being consultants trained in delivering solutions for individuals and organizations.

During the three-year operating period, the program seeks to support communities in generating a critical mass of engagement and environmental change that creates a sustainable improvement in well-being.

Based on principles developed by Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author of “The Blue Zones” and “The Blue Zones Solution,” Blue Zones Project is designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to the built environment, policy and social networks. Outcomes are measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

For more information on Blue Zones Project in Hawaiʻi, or to learn how to participate, visit hawaii.bluezonesproject.com.

Blue Zones Project is a community well-being improvement initiative designed to change the way people experience the world around them.

Project leaders say that by impacting the environment, policy, and social networks, Blue Zones Project makes healthy choices easier. As a result they say, people can live longer, better, and communities can lower healthcare costs, improve productivity, and boost national recognition as a great place to live, work, and play.