With the efforts of countless individuals and organizations invested in a healthier Shawnee in 2020 Shawnee became the first Certified Blue Zones Community in Oklahoma, and the seal was accepted jointly by our multicultural community's leaders, Mayor Ed Bolt & Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman Rocky Barrett.
The Blue Zones Project global holistic health initiative was born of one man's search into the answers of why certain places in the world have more people thriving at older ages than most. Through this research into the world's "Blue Zones," an evidence-inspired model was developed to assist communities in deploying these Power 9 principles into their lifestyles and environment to live longer, healthier lives.
Thanks to the generous contributions of the Avedis Foundation, the Blue Zones Project of Pottawatomie County was born in 2017, earning the seal of certified Blue Zone Community in 2020, and in 2022 the project began localization efforts and rebranded as Pottawatomie Go, or as its friends call it, PoGo.
Because of Blue Zone's commitment to helping make the healthy choice the easy choice, when you visit Shawnee you will find that many restaurants have delicious Blue Zones inspired options that are often vegan and vegetarian, and you will also find that Shawnee is becoming more pedestrian friendly, with sidewalks and urban trails continuing to be developed throughout the city!
If you happen into one of our local grocery stores (both Homeland locations & Firelake Grocery), you may be surprised to find nutritious options along the checkout lines as well, including nuts, seeds, and other whole foods.
The Blue Zones Certified seal is housed right here in the Shawnee Welcome Center, so stop by to see it as well as grab a copy of our newest visitor's guide while you're here!
Want to know more about how Shawnee is building a healthier community? Learn more about the Avedis Foundation and their goal to measurably increase quality of life in Pottawatomie County: