“Good Morning America” producers and cameramen toured Albert Lea Tuesday, visiting with area residents and business owners that have been affected by the Albert Lea/Blue Zones Vitality Project.

In preparation of the live segment of the morning show today at Brookside Education Center, the group made several visits around town.

The day started off with AARP and Blue Zones leaders meeting at Brookside to discuss the live broadcast and to scout out the location.

Community members were expected to start arriving at Brookside at about 6:30 a.m. today, with a live segment filmed inside the building at about 6:10 a.m. with “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion, said Amy McDonough, with AARP.

Then, at about 7:10 a.m. the live segment outside the building was scheduled to begin. That was to run until about 8 a.m.

Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner was also to be interviewed.

In addition to the Wednesday filming, the segment will also include some of the other filming completed on Tuesday.

First, “Good Morning America” crews stopped at the home of Albert Lea residents, Bob and Sue Furland. While there, the couple and Buettner physically moved the television from the Furlands’ bedroom. They also talked about the changes they had made to their lives.

After that visit, the show’s crew stopped at Trail’s Restaurant to talk with Cathy Purdie, the director of marketing and strategic development at the facility. Purdie and Buettner talked about the healthy menu changes that have taken place there.

“It was an amazing experience,” Purdie said. “It was so fun to work with the ‘Good Morning America’ crew — probably the opportunity of a lifetime.”

At the restaurant, they’re doing things such as making sure fresh fruit is offered as a side for all of the entrees and looking into offering half-size portions of the entrees, she noted.

She said she’s excited the Vitality Project is beginning to be communicated with the rest of the country.

After visiting Trail’s, the show’s crews visited resident Alice Petersen, who was volunteering at the Ecumenical Food Pantry at First Presbyterian Church with a friend she met in her walking moai.

Afterward, they made stops at Hy-Vee and Lou-Rich, where Champion was expected to join the crews.

Lastly, the crews were scheduled to follow 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.

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.

The project has begun receiving national attention through AARP The Magazine, USA Today and now “Good Morning America.” “Nightline” is also expected to be in Albert Lea Wednesday and Thursday.