Walking Moai in Hermosa Beach

The tradition of moai in the Japanese island of Okinawa is a long-standing custom where people gather for a common purpose, form meaningful social relationships and support each other in ways that reap healthy benefits.

Now that same term is being used to describe teams of Beach Cities residents and community workers who—many of them strangers meeting for the first time—showed up at a dozen community meetings this week in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach this week to participate in an innovative program in the Beach Cities Health District, forming a Walking Moai (mo-EYE).

More than 750 people joined the moai groups and pledged to walk for a minimum of 30 minutes at least once a week for 10 weeks as part of the . 

The formation of the walking groups marked the kickoff of the health initiative that will continue for three years. Veronica Flores, the Vitality City manager for the Beach Cities, said she was delighted with the turnout.

“The principal purpose is for people to get to know each other and develop relationships,” said Flores, who added that additional signups would continue for participants. 

“By building those relationships, we hope people will support each other and create real, sustainable healthy behavior through a sheer connection to other people,” she said.

By encouraging that connection and promoting walking groups, Vitality City hopes to improve health and increase longevity in local communities by promoting such healthy practices as regular exercise, better nutrition and less stressful lifestyles.

The participants who showed up at local elementary schools where the community meetings were held were introduced to the moai concept and given a chance to form new relationships.

“I think that’s why people are here, to meet other people in the community and encourage each other to walk,” said Nicole Sevier who was at Manhattan Beach’s Pacific Elementary School with her 8-year-old son Luke.

Mary Ann Millar, the Seviers’ new walking partner, agreed. “I hope to get a jump start on my walking and meet new people,” said the Manhattan Beach grandmother.

At , the Oshitas, a retired couple in their 60s, said they already walk several miles a day but saw the moai meeting as an opportunity to widen their circle. 

“You don’t really meet many people in your neighborhood. This is a good way to do that,” said Chris Oshita, who retired from the Internal Revenue Service.

“I’m for anything that will improve my health, and at this point walking is one of those things,” added his wife, Linda. “I know it’s hard for some people to walk by themselves.” 

Debbie Ripley, whose family just moved to Redondo Beach from San Pedro a year ago, said the meeting at Lincoln Elementary School in Redondo gave her a chance to find fellow walkers and an opportunity to meet new people.

“I was hoping to find a better sense of community by coming here tonight, and I did,” said Ripley who has two children attending Redondo schools.

The gathering at Lincoln school was one of the largest of the Vitality City meetings with more than 70 people in attendance. After an introductory talk and a description of the moai program, chairs in the auditorium were cleared and the crowd was divided into those who preferred to walk in the mornings and those who favored afternoon or evening walks. 

As they faced each other in two large circles, adults and children alike spoke a little about themselves before breaking off to form their walking groups.

For Dan Buettner, the founder and chief executive officer of Blue Zones, the face-to-face meeting was just as important for good health as the walking itself.

“Just making these connections on a human level is going to make a difference,” Buettner told Patch after addressing the crowd.

While some people already have their network of friends, he said, others are starting social relationships or bolstering social networks that will contribute to good health.

“The home run, the holy grail, is that the lonely people who really didn’t know each other came here and connected with someone tonight. That’s the home run…and worth every bit of effort,” he said.

It was Buettner, a best-selling author, who wrote about places worldwide, dubbed “blue zones,” with the highest concentrations of centenarians or people who live to be 100 and older. The locales included Okinawa and its tradition of moai.

Studies showed common traits shared by each of those communities including walking, cutting calories and belonging to a strong community, Buettner said. 

In hopes of utilizing some of those concepts for the Beach Cities, his organization joined with Healthways to create the Vitality City project.

In addition to local schools, some community businesses and civic organizations have also supported the effort that is funded by a $3.5 million grant from Healthways and another $1.8 million from the Beach Cities Health District.

City officials have also backed the initiative including several who attended this week’s meetings.

Hermosa Beach City Councilman Michael DiVirgilio, who was at Hermosa Valley School’s community meeting, said what’s important is that the Vitality City project—and its teams of Moai Walkers—represent a “ground-floor” approach to good health that is easy and practical. 

“The walking is important and the social interaction is important. What’s neat about this is the marriage of both,” he said.