The 2011 Walking Moai Competition Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Brookside Boathouse located at the Brookside Boat Landing on Richway Drive. Moai teams will register at the boathouse.

Community members will have the opportunity to learn more about programming offered at the boathouse. At 6:30 p.m., participants will walk as a group to the Freeborn County Fairgrounds for the kick-off which will begin at 7 p.m.

Anyone who has previously participated or is interested in joining or starting a moai is invited to attend. Moais with at least three members present at the kick-off will be granted 10,000 bonus steps. The moais with the most steps at the end of the competition will be awarded a prize at the wrap-up celebration on Thursday, Aug. 18.

“We are excited about the 2011 competition,” says Erin Sauer, Walking Moai program co-chair. “We want to encourage those already participating to continue doing so and we want to extend an invitation to new participants to join.” Sauer co-chairs the program with Loyal Leas.

For more information on the Walking Moai program go to www.healthyfreeborncounty.org.