‘GMA’ to return to Albert Lea on Labor Day

Published 9:20 am Wednesday, September 2, 2009

“Good Morning America” will be in Albert Lea for a second time on Labor Day to continue its coverage of the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, according to a spokeswoman for the project.

Amy McDonough, associate state director of communications for AARP, said the “Good Morning America” crew will join the community for a Labor Day Vitality Project breakfast picnic potluck at Pioneer Park, with a live shot airing sometime between the 7 and 8 a.m. hour.

The public is invited to arrive at the park by 6:30 a.m. People are encouraged to wear their Vitality Project T-shirts, to bring a picnic blanket and to bring signs that indicate the names of their walking moais. Signs about the project as a whole are encouraged to include the full name of the project — AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project, she said.

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For the breakfast potluck, people should use their creativity and knowledge of longevity foods to create a breakfast dish, McDonough said. A few dishes may be showcased by Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner during the segment, so people are also encouraged to also bring along the recipes.

The “Good Morning America” segment will help America discover longevity foods, showcase the success of the walking moai program and check back in with the Bob and Sue Furland family, McDonough said.

Unlike the previous live segment, there will not be an anchor present for the taping, she noted. “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion will interview Buettner from New York City, but the producer and crew will be in town starting Sunday.

The visit comes after one toward the end of July, which featured a live segment from Brookside Education Center with Champion.

The crew also interviewed the Furland family, stopped at Trail’s Restaurant to talk about healthy menu changes that have taken place there, visited with a volunteer and followed a walking moai around Fountain Lake.

Through the different stops, the crews caught a glimpse of several different portions of the Vitality Project, including personal changes, restaurant changes, and the importance of volunteering, connecting with others and physical movement.

Project leaders announced in January that Albert Lea was chosen for the project, which is the first of its kind. It aims to make Albert Lea residents healthier by making simple changes to their lifestyles and environments.

In January, national nutrition and walkability experts began meeting with city and educational leaders to talk about environmental changes that can be made to positively affect the health of the residents here.

In May, the individual portion of the Vitality Project kicked off.

It will go through October.

In recent months, the project has gained national recognition from AARP The Magazine, USA Today and “Nightline.”