Last August, Michelle Gaines, a 48-year-old Riversider, showed up to a running group at Fairmount Park with no experience — just curiosity about a Blue Zones Project Riverside program called a Moai. Now, in May 2026, she will run her first marathon alongside friends she met that day.
Hers is one story from what Edwards calls a strong first year — one that has touched more than 4,500 community members, influenced policies at City Hall and prompted changes at several local businesses.
Now, one year into a five-year initiative to make Riverside a certified Blue Zones Community by 2030, the project is scaling up. The model's premise, rooted in research by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner: only about 20% of longevity is genetic, so change the environment and healthier choices follow.
A year of ground-level change
Blue Zones Project Riverside held its public kickoff in May 2025. The five-year public-private partnership, which the City Council endorsed in August 2024, is fully funded through a coalition of sponsors led by IEHP, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare and the City of Riverside. Since launch, the project has invested more than $130,000 in the community through sponsorships, technical assistance and local business support.
The numbers tell part of the story: five approved schools — Arlanza Elementary, Twinhill Elementary, Wells Middle School, La Sierra High School and Norte Vista High School — with two completed walking school bus events. Nine approved worksites, including City Hall, Phenix Technology, Inc. and the Riverside Public Libraries. Three approved restaurants — Riverside Airport Cafe, Flat O Wrap and The Cookie Tin Cafe — along with one approved grocery store, La Sierra Natural Foods. Four adopted city policies. And more than 4,500 community members engaged, including 1,500 Riverside employees.
What do those designations look like in practice? Riverside Airport Cafe, the first restaurant in the city to earn Blue Zones approval, added plant-based options like the Riverside Veggie Omelet, Jen Jen Avocado Toast and a plant-powered burger to its menu so diners can spot healthier choices without studying ingredient lists.
At City Hall — the first government workplace to earn the designation — the changes are visible. A new "downshift space" on the second-floor walkway between City Hall and the parking garage now offers seating, plants and healthy snacks where employees can decompress. Screen savers on all city computers feature box breathing prompts to reduce stress. And during a Halloween event, a different trail mix ingredient was staged outside each floor's stairwell, drawing employees to climb the building floor by floor — encouraging movement and connection.
Blue Zones Project Riverside Policy Lead Paloma Montes appeared before the City Council with a jar of cigarette litter collected from around the city to advocate for a tobacco retail moratorium — and the council passed it. Additional adopted policies address alcohol outlet density, food systems and the built environment.
But it's the less quantifiable moments that Executive Director Erin Edwards, a former Ward 1 councilmember who championed the initiative, points to when describing what Year 1 has felt like on the ground.
"What surprised the team the most has been the appetite for this type of work," she said. "People not only embrace the Blue Zones model — they are leading it."
She described watching Riverside's earliest adopters — Phenix Technology, Inc. and The Cookie Tin Cafe among them — rally to support one another at their ribbon-cutting ceremonies as they earned approved status.
The project also received the 2026 Good Steward Award from Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful. "It felt like the community saying, 'The work we are doing together matters,'" Edwards said. "This recognition is a reminder of why we do this."
Edwards said the key is meeting Riversiders where they already are. "When you begin to shift the environments and spaces that people interact with daily, that's when the lasting change happens," she said.
Blue Zones communities are measured by the Gallup Well-Being Index, and Riverside's first-year data is in. The project tracks 20 well-being metrics identified by its steering committee, comparing local results against both previous years and national averages. One early indicator: Gallup's most recent data showed an increase in community pride, bringing Riverside closer to the national average.
The early data echoes results from other Blue Zones communities. In Southern California's Beach Cities, a similar initiative produced a 14% drop in obesity and a 30% drop in smoking among participants.
"The purpose of our Blue Zones Project is to support everyone, everywhere in Riverside to live better, longer," Edwards said. "But it's not just about living a long life. It's about having more good years."
Cooking pozole in Arlanza, and other stories from the ground
Community Engagement Lead Grace Manzo, who has spent the past year in Riverside neighborhoods, said the most memorable connections happen in unexpected moments.
The Arlanza neighborhood has been a focus from the beginning. A $1 million "Connecting Neighbors to Neighbors" grant from the Governor's Office and California Volunteers program helped bring the Blue Zones model to the neighborhood. More than 80 neighbors turned out for a white bean pozole verde cooking demonstration at the Arlanza Community Garden.
"It was amazing to see community members gather around not just to learn about the Blue Zones Project, but to learn how their cultural dishes can be reimagined with a Plant Slant twist that maintains the same nutritional elements and delicious flavor of their family recipes," Manzo said. "People even lined up for seconds."
During a Power 9 presentation — where participants explore the nine longevity principles through a personal assessment — one attendee shared: "Through this assessment I learned how much impact human belonging and purpose have on our health and well-being. I had no idea how much these two contribute to our longevity."
At Twinhill Elementary, students participated in a "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" walk-to-school event in December — an early example of how the project's principles are reaching Riverside's youngest residents.
What is a Moai — and why should you care?
The word Moai (pronounced moh-eye) comes from Okinawa, Japan, where it roughly means "coming together for a common purpose." In Riverside, that means a group committing to a healthy activity together once a week for 10 weeks.
"To someone who has never heard of a Moai — get ready to learn your new favorite word," Manzo said. "A Moai is a social support group for your social, financial, health or spiritual interests. It's a way to align your well-being interests with a group of people who have similar goals and who can keep each other accountable while creating friendships along the way."
This Saturday's Moai Launch Party at North Park marks the beginning of 28 new Moais across the city. The project placed groups in every ward so that no matter where a Riversider lives, there's something nearby.
The range is broad: reading groups, walking groups, yoga, pickleball — even a "wine at 5" Moai. Community partners including Community Yoga Center, Overflow Farms, Run Riverside, Somos Uno Riverside, Affirmotion, Aquamotion, Jazzercise, Riverside Pickleball, the EFNEP program and the Riverside Light Parade all stepped up to make it happen.
Every Moai is free.
As the roster of approved businesses and organizations grows, Edwards sees a broader network forming. "As more local business owners, community leaders and entrepreneurs become approved, we are excited to help facilitate a network where these relationships will continue to grow organically," she said.
How to get involved
The project recently released a short video, "Watch Us," produced by Raincross, a local media company. The video spans the initiative — from City Hall to local businesses to neighborhoods — with a challenge: don't just watch Riverside become a Blue Zones Community. Join in.
The Moai Launch Party is Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to noon at North Park, 3200 Mission Inn Ave. The free event features music, açaí bowls and giveaways while supplies last. Attendees can meet their Moai group on the spot or browse options and sign up later.
To browse and sign up for a Moai before Saturday, visit the Blue Zones Project Riverside Eventbrite page.
More information: Riversiders can also follow the project on Facebook and Instagram @bzpriverside or sign up for the Blue Zones Project Riverside newsletter at bluezonesprojectriverside.com.
