January 24 marked an exciting milestone as the City of Coachella celebrated their Blue Zones Project official launch. After months of anticipation, the day arrived with momentum, excitement and a deep sense of pride from locals of all ages. Under clear blue skies at the city’s Veterans Park, more than 700 community members came together to celebrate connection, learn about the Power 9, and experience what it means to make healthy choices easier as a community. Local organizations, community leaders, and the Blue Zones Project Coachella team worked side by side to bring the Power 9 to life at each of the curated booths dotting the park. Attendees learned how to “downshift,” explored purpose-driven living and were invited to sign up for Moais. The strong support from the Coachella Valley High School student volunteers was remarkable. From early morning setup to the final wrap-up, their energy and dedication lifted the entire event. Hidden Harvest Food Bank also demonstrated strong support, generously contributing a beautiful assortment of fresh produce. Families were able to take home full bags, and participate in cooking demonstrations. Adding to the excitement was a memorable moment of friendly competition as Blue Zones Project co-founder Nick Buettner, Executive Director Angela Zepeda, and sponsor Dr. Shunling Tsang from RUHS-Public Health competed in a potato sack race. “What a beautiful, fun-filled day we spent together in Coachella,” Dr. Tsang said. “This wasn’t just a Blue Zones Project event, it was a reminder of what a vibrant, resilient, connected community feels like!” We are energized by what lies ahead and confident in the meaningful impact Blue Zones Project will continue to have in the City of Coachella over the next two years. Take the next steps. Join us for one of the many activities offered. Attend our Art & Talk Moai every Tuesday from 8:15–9:15 a.m. in front of the Coachella Library, attend a cooking demo, support a planting day or take part in community cleanups supporting tobacco-free initiatives. Want to make a bigger impact? Become a Blue Zones Project volunteer or step up as a Community Ambassador to help lead and inspire others. Coachella’s well-being movement starts with you! For ways to get involved and to sign the Blue Zones Personal Pledge, visit www.bluezonesprojectpalmsprings.com and www.bluezonesprojectcoachella.com. Follow on social @bzppalmsprings and @bzpcoachella. When I talk about well-being in Palm Springs, I’m not talking about a program. I’m talking about people. Always people. Yes, at Blue Zones Project Palm Springs we discuss policy, environment, data, metrics—all the things that make spreadsheets happy. Those matter. But after my first six months in this role (and years before that working alongside under-resourced entrepreneurs across this region), I’ve learned something that no dashboard can capture: impact doesn’t become irreversible because it’s well-designed; it becomes irreversible because it’s personally owned. Well-being isn’t delivered. It’s lived. Palm Springs didn’t need another initiative parachuting in with a logo and a timeline. What we needed was alignment— between research and reality, between resources and residents, between intention and everyday life. That’s where our Ambassadors come in. They are our translators, truth-tellers, connectors and gentle reality-checkers. They’ll tell us when an idea sounds great in a meeting but would never work on a Tuesday afternoon in the real world. They open doors into neighborhoods, small businesses, faith communities, walking groups and living rooms where real life happens. They don’t implement our plan; they shape it with us. Listening is our first intervention. Palm Springs is beautifully complex—and I mean that in the best way. We are retirees and young families. Artists and accountants. Hospitality workers, entrepreneurs, dreamers, skeptics and newcomers still figuring out which grocery store line moves fastest. A one-size-fitsall approach to well-being here would fail instantly. Our Ambassadors make sure we listen before we act. They ground our People, Places and Policy strategies in lived experience instead of assumptions made from behind a desk or inside a conference room with good lighting and bad acoustics. Momentum is loud. Permanence is quiet. Momentum is easy to spot. It looks like ribbon cuttings, full event rooms, and new partnerships announced with celebratory photos. Permanence is quieter, and far more powerful. It looks like a walking group that keeps meeting even when no one from our team is there. It looks like a restaurant keeping healthy options on the menu because customers now expect them. It looks like a workplace prioritizing connection because culture— not policy—shifted. It looks like prevention becoming normal instead of aspirational. Ambassadors create that permanence. They model the Core 4—Move Naturally, Eat Wisely, Connect, Right Outlook—not because anyone told them to, but because they believe in it. They form Moais (activity groups). They invite neighbors. They show up again and again. And repeated actions? Those are what change norms. Changed norms? That’s what makes impact stick. Your invitation (Yes, I mean You). If you felt even a small spark while reading this—curiosity, excitement, a quiet “hmm”—that might be your invitation. You can start simple: • Attend a Blue Zones Project Palm Springs event • Join (or start) a Moai •Sit in on a People, Places or Policy committee •Become an Ambassador and join an orientation •Or just reach out: bzppalmsprings@ bluezones.com Palm Springs doesn’t need more spectators. It needs co-creators because well-being becomes irreversible the moment it belongs to the community. And that usually begins when one neighbor says, “Yes—I’m in.” Medical News The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 5 www.DesertHealthNews.com www.palmspringsendodontics.com www.ranchomirageendodontics.com www.palmspringsendodontics.com www.ranchomirageendodontics.com www.jordanptcenter.com www.palmspringsendodontics.com www.ranchomirageendodontics.com Laser Endodontic Treatment Laser energy enhances the effect of disinfectants used in the canals, further eliminating bacterial infection. 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Hung, DMD, MPD, MSD Board Eligible Endodontist Advanced Technology Root canal therapy • Endodontic retreatment Apicoectomy • IV and oral sedation dentistry RANCHO MIRAGE (760) 779-0350 71780 San Jacinto Dr., Ste. B3 Rancho Mirage PALM SPRINGS (760) 318-0101 558 S. Paseo Doroteo, Ste. 9 Palm Springs PERSONALIZED CARE FOR THE ENTIRE COACHELLA VALLEY Community News Blue Zones Project Ambassadors: The Human Infrastructure of Well-Being By Mihai Patru Blue Zones Project Coachella Holds Community Kick-Off Event By Angela Zepeda March/April 2026 A generational celebration welcomed BZP Coachella.
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