Blue Zones to assess Weslaco’s well-being and opportunities to help residents live better and longer
WESLACO, TX, UNITED STATES, July 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The City of Weslaco, Knapp Community Care Foundation and Blue Zones, the global leader in longevity research and community well-being transformation, have announced a partnership to launch a Blue Zones Ignite™ assessment in Weslaco.
Blue Zones uses an evidence-based, environmental approach to making healthy choices easier in the places where people spend the most time. Blue Zones will work with the City of Weslaco and other community leaders to conduct an in-depth readiness and feasibility assessment to determine how to make it a healthier place to live, work, and thrive. Together with the community, the Blue Zones team will assess readiness and build a plan for change.
“Health and wellness have always been priorities for our community, and that includes both physical and mental well-being. The Blue Zones initiative aligns with our vision of creating a healthier, happier, and more connected Weslaco for future generations,” said Adrian Gonzalez, Mayor of Weslaco.
The Blue Zones Approach
Blue Zones employs a proven solution in collaboration with communities to help people live better and longer lives. The company’s work is based on research and principles developed by National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Dan Buettner, who identified the cultures of the world – or blue zones – with the healthiest, longest-living populations.
The Blue Zones approach focuses on the largest determinant of health: the environment in which we live. Instead of focusing solely on individual behavior change, Blue Zones helps communities make permanent and semi-permanent changes to policies, systems, streets, surroundings, and social networks so it’s easier for residents to eat wisely, move naturally, and connect more with others as they move throughout their day. By improving the Life Radius®—the area close to home where most Americans spend 90% of their lives—Blue Zones transformations have been able to move the needle dramatically in improving overall population health and well-being.
Participating communities have seen double-digit drops in obesity and smoking rates, economic investment in downtown corridors, grant funding awards to support policies and programs to improve health equity, and measurable savings in healthcare costs.
Shelly Trumbo, Blue Zones Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are excited to partner with Knapp Community Care Foundation in this joint effort of improving well-being in Weslaco. That improvement, at the community level, leads to healthier and happier residents, better and more productive workforces and student bodies, and a more vibrant economy. We are excited to collaborate to create a transformation plan that will generate lasting positive change in the lives of current and future generations.”
The Blue Zones expert team will connect with Weslaco leaders and organizations to begin immediate work assessing the strengths, needs, and challenges that residents are facing today. Blue Zones will then create a policy-focused transformation plan that, once implemented, can drive widespread improvements in well-being, reductions in healthcare costs, and improve economic vitality in the region.
The public is invited to attend a Blue Zones Ignite Weslaco Community Keynote Event to learn more about the initiative.
When: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Where: 700 Knapp Medical Boulevard, Weslaco, TX 78596
Admission: Free and open to the public
Register HERE
About Blue Zones
Blue Zones employ evidence-based ways to help people live better, longer. The company’s work is rooted in explorations and research done by founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner in blue zones regions around the world, where people live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. The original research and findings were released in Buettner’s bestselling books The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones, Thrive, and Blue Zones Kitchen—all published by National Geographic books. A hit docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, was released on Netflix in 2023. Using original Blue Zones research, Blue Zones works with cities and counties to make healthy choices easier through permanent and semi-permanent changes to our human-made surroundings. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit www.bluezones.com.
About City of Weslaco
The City of Weslaco, known as “The City on the Grow,” is a thriving community located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Home to more than 40,000 residents, Weslaco is recognized for its commitment to public safety, economic development, quality infrastructure, and community engagement. Through strategic investments and responsible growth, the City continues to enhance the quality of life for residents while fostering opportunities for businesses, families, and future generations. For more information, visit www.weslacotx.gov.
About Knapp Community Care Foundation
The Knapp Community Care Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley’s Mid-Valley community. Since its establishment in 2013, the foundation has focused on funding partner organizations that play a vital role in improving and sustaining residents’ long-term health and well-being, with a strong emphasis on addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). For more information, visit www.communitycare.today.
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Blue Zones
+1 917-952-8534
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