First lady Michelle Obama will not be coming to Albert Lea to see the successes of the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project.

During the Thursday preagenda workshop, Albert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen told councilors that the Freeborn County Family Services Collaborative received a postcard this week stating Obama would not be able to join the community for the project wrap-up.

The collaborative, along with Vitality Project and city leaders, spearheaded a letter-writing campaign to get the first lady to Albert Lea.

Simonsen said the city has not yet received its notification.

Project leaders focused on the first lady because of her interest in gardens and healthy communities.

The visit would have also allowed Obama to see what the community is doing to create its own kind of health reform.

Simonsen said project leaders will now work on getting a second big-name speaker to the wrap-up event.

The Vitality Project, which encourages people to make simple changes to achieve a longer, healthier life, was first announced in Albert Lea in January.

Since announced, city, school and business leaders have met to find out ways to make healthier environments, and individuals have pledged to work on their own lives.

The goal is to add 10,000 years of longevity to the participants of the project.