In 2018, Kroger and singer/songwriter Jewel co-founded the Wellness Your Way Festival, a locally produced "life-altering weekend experience to kick-start your journey to a healthy lifestyle.”
Previous celeb-packed events in 2018 and 2019 at the Duke Energy Convention Center included a big roster of health and fitness headliners, wellness experts and other famous faces — Perez Hilton, P90X founder Tony Horton, nutritionist and TODAY Show correspondent Joy Bauer, etc. — to talk fitness, nutrition, healthy cooking and more.
Now, in the time of COVID, the concept is pivoting with a new digital platform: The Wellness Experience.
According to the website, the experience features "year-round digital events, healthy-living resources, better-for-you products in Kroger stores, and (a) Festival (to) help customers take actionable steps toward making their lives healthier, easier, brighter and a bit lighter."
"We launched The Wellness Experience to inspire everyone to live healthier lives. The goal is to provide easy steps and solutions that combine health, wellness and nutrition and connect with our customers on an emotional and personal level," said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health, in a release. "The platform provides Kroger Health with an additional way to highlight the helpful and accessible products, services and resources that we offer to support our customers’ well-being.”
On World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, The Wellness Experience will be hosting a livestreamed summit and concert to "shine a light on mindfulness and mental wellness and practices to combat depression and anxiety through personal stories, songs and expert interviews," reads a release.
From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the day will be broken into streaming lectures and conversations with mental health experts, educators, artists, health gurus and more. It's also co-hosted by Frankie Grande, Ariana Grande's half-brother. He's not really a fitness expert, but he is considered an "influencer" as well as "an American dancer, actor, singer, producer, television host and YouTube personality," according to Wikipeda.
“We recognize that many are combating the silent symptoms of COVID 19 — anxiety, depression, and isolation — in addition to their physical health,” says Jewel. “We know that mental wellness is critical right now, and I’m thrilled to partner with Kroger to safely connect with people across the U.S. to provide tools and resources for mental wellness during these uncertain times.”
Here's the schedule for the World Mental Health Day Summit & Concert:
MORNING | 9:00-10:00 AM Fitness for All
- 9:00-9:30 AM Workout with International Fitness Expert Kayla Itsines of SWEAT
- 9:30-10:00 AM Mindful Yoga with Adriene
AFTERNOON | 12:30-3:30 PM Impactful Interviews
- 12:30-12:45 PM Conversation with Jewel and Dr. Judson Brewer
- Dr. Judson Brewer, Addiction psychiatrist, neuroscientist, a worldwide expert in mindfulness training for anxiety, habit change, and treating addiction
- 12:45-1:00 PM Molly Bloom: Addiction and High Performance
- Molly Bloom, Entrepreneur, Author, and subject of the Academy Award-nominated film Molly’s Game
- 1:00 – 1:15 PM The State of Mental Health in America with Dr. Blaise Aguirre and Cherrial O’Dell of the Inspiring Children Foundation
- Dr. Blaise Aguirre, Expert in child and adolescent psychiatry at Harvard University’s McLean Hospital
- 3:00-3:30 PM Jewel, Justin Kan, and Fang Yuan on Mindfulness and Social Media
- Justin Kan, Co-Founder of Twitch, entrepreneur, and investor
EVENING | 7:00-9:00 PM World Mental Health Day Concert
Experience an unforgettable evening of world-class musicians, business leaders, and experts invested in the same goal — to make mental health accessible to everyone. The event will also raise funds to support Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation.
The concert event will feature:
- Jewel, Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter, actress, bestselling author, and The Wellness Experience co-founder
- Rodney McMullen, CEO, The Kroger Co.
- Dr. Marc Watkins, Chief Medical Officer, The Kroger Co.
- Frankie Grande, Actor, Influencer, and Philanthropist
- Willie Jones, Country, Hip Hop artist, and host of Apple Music’s Crossroads Radio
- HAIM, American Rock Band
- Grace VanderWaal, Singer-songwriter
- Brynn Elliot, Singer-songwriter
- X Ambassadors, Rockband
- Judah & the Lion, Alt-folk Trio
- and more!
To register for the World Mental Health Day Summit & Concert, visit tickettailor.com. And learn more about The Wellness Experience at thewellness-experience.com.
