Anniverary Tour a Success!

There was lots of Power 9 was happening at Kahilu Town Hall in Waimea: Family First-family fun activities in the Keiki Zone; Moving Naturally-dancing, juggling with Cirque ‘Ohana’; Plant Slant-cooking and gardening demo; Belonging-Celebrating Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Approval for being the 1^st Faith Based Org in North Hawaii and State and the Bahai’i Faith of Kohala;  Right Tribe-friends and family hanging out together and connecting, and Purpose-the volunteer fair and learning about Blue Zones Project and our communities!

All enjoyed the live entertainment by RMD Taiko Drummers and the Honokaa High Jazz Band, cooking demo by Salad Master Gayle and Cherise Yogi, gardening and Keiki Zone activities with the Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Youth Group, a volunteer fair with participating organizations: Malai’i Garden, Paniolo Senior Softball, Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool, Bahai’i Faith, One Island, CERT, and Blue Zones Project programs, informational booths from HMSA, Hawaii 1^st FCU, KTA, Vivienne Aronowitz-Health Coach, Aloha Natural Health and seeing the accomplishments happening in our 4 communities!

Besides all the activities and demonstration going on there was a drawing for a Fit Desk Bike.  The participants had many chances to enter the drawing by taking our community tour, going to demos, signing the pledge, and check out the volunteer fair.  Congratulations to the lucky North Hawaii Waimea resident, Debora Hart, who won the Fit Desk Bike!

This event couldn’t have been put together without the help of the Blue Zones Project Engagement Committee, Colleagues, venders and volunteers.  Kudos to all for making this event a great one!

Want to add years to your life? Volunteer Experience is the way!

November 24^th, Blue Zones Project is partnering with Big Island Giving Tree to distribute bags of canned goods for a one pot veggie chili from our ‘Nourish Your Neighbor’ campaign at the Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Waimea School Café, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.                                                                                  

 The community have been collecting canned goods at the National Food Day Food Drive, through Faith Based Organizations and Worksites in North Hawaii, who have been donating canned goods of beans, tomato sauce, diced or whole, corn and chili powder.

 We need help with bagging the collected canned goods on November 22^nd, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at NHERC and distributing and serving on November 24^th, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Waimea School Café.  Interested in helping contact Sue Dela Cruz, at 808.564.4762 or email  bluezonesprojectnorthhawaii@healthways.com

 Approved and Celebrated!

Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Church becomes the 1^st in North Hawaii and one of the First 2 in the State of Hawaii to become a Blue Zones Project Approved Faith Based Organization! 

They were recognized in an Award Ceremony at the Blue Zones Project North Hawaii 1^st Anniversary Celebration on October 29^th. 

With the persistence of their Wellness Committee Chair Patsy Trefz and fellow church members, Kohala Seventh-day Adventist achieved Blue Zones Project Approved status within just four months after completing the Blue Zones Project faith-based organization pledge, a free tool from Blue Zones Project that provides research-backed guidance that can strengthen members’ involvement and support their well-being. The pledge process includes adopting and supporting best practices for promoting well-being, such as:

• Ensuring bike racks are available to encourage members to walk and ride bike to church - the members built a bike rack to promote “Moving Naturally”, and it’s been in use consistently.
• Avoiding fundraisers that sell unhealthy foods - they discontinued selling chocolate bars at their movie night’s concession, and have veggie burgers and popcorn.
• Hosting Family Fun Nights - the church built an outdoor movie screen which they show movies once a month for the members and community.
• Hosting a plant-based potluck for the entire congregation.

 Patsy says Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Church is a faith-based organization that believes in education. They welcome everyone to a weekly service on Saturdays where the church is known island-wide for their Kohala Praise Singers. Visitors come from various parts of the island so they hold a weekly potluck after the service so guests have time to share and connect.

Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Church has a natural connection to Blue Zones Project. One of the five original Blue Zones is Loma Linda, California, a town that has a large concentration of Seventh-day Adventists where people live up to 10 years longer than the average American. Their religion supports a healthy lifestyle - they put "Family First", have a "Plant Slant" diet, and every Saturday, they practice the Sabbath by spending time "Downshifting" to relieve stress. 

Well done Kohala Seventh-day Adventist Church for making the Healthy Choice the easy choice!

Hawaii First FCU Celebrates Blue Zones Project every Wednesday!

At Hawaii First FCU, every Wednesday this is our Uniform for the day! After work a bunch of us goes on a walk for about 45 minutes to an hour.  It makes it so easy because we are dressed and ready to go! It's called the Walking Moai. Our Team name is "Happy Feet." We are very proud to be a part of Living Healthier Happier Longer Lives!

North Hawaii Rocks in Painting Our Community Blue!

There’s a lot of ‘Proud Supports for the Blue Zones Project’, you are seeing them all over in North Hawaii through Restaurants, Worksites, Grocery Stores, Schools, Faith Based Organizations, Other Organizations and Community Residents!

 Welcome Kohala Coffee Mill, in Kohala, and Under the Bodhi Tree, in Waikoloa, in becoming an Approved Blue Zones Project Restaurant. 

Kohala Coffee Mill will be recognized on December 9^th in Kohala, come join us in welcoming them to the Blue Zones Project Ohana.   Under the Bodhi Tree will be having their recognition in January 2017!

 Welcome KTA Waikoloa in becoming our 2^nd Approved Grocery Store and KTA Waimea in becoming our 2^nd Approved Worksites!

 Thank you North Hawaii Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Worksite, Faith Based Orgs, Schools, Other Organizations and Community Residents for making the healthy choice the easy choice!