Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials this morning announced the 11 Iowa cities that will compete to be chosen as initial Blue Zones demonstration communities in May.

The 11 finalists are: Ames, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo. They were chosen from 54 communities that submitted applications for the program, based on “strong commitment from community leaders, local employers and government officials, as well as prior success in collaborative community initiatives,” Wellmark said in a release.

The Blue Zones Project, part of the Healthiest State Initiative launched in August 2011, will provide resources to the selected communities to serve as demonstration sites for becoming healthier environments that promote exercise, healthful food choices and social networks. Des Moines, which did not make the cut, was the only Greater Des Moines community that had applied for the program.

Wellmark plans to announce three to four demonstration cities from the 11 large-city finalists in May, following site visits to each community. In March, Wellmark will announce smaller communities that have been selected for site visits.