ELLSWORTH – The kick-off meeting for the Hancock County fifth annual Lose and Win program will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Trenton Elementary School.

Singer Laurie Jones will be the featured guest.

Based on the book “The Town That Lost a Ton,” Lose and Win is a 10-week program in which teams challenge one another to lose weight and to develop healthier lifestyles. Lose and Win participants have lost a total of 10,063 pounds in the past four years.

Weekly meetings will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 8 through March 12, at satellite locations in Bucksport, Mount Desert Island, Deer Isle-Stonington, and Ellsworth. Team captains will verify the locations. Topics addressed at the meetings will include: “Good Cheap Meals,” “Sleep and Your Health,” and “Welcome to Smart Shopping.” A complete list of topics is available at Lose and Win, www.mainehospital.org.

For information or to receive a team captain registration form, call Karen Yaeck at Mount Desert Island Hospital, 288-5082, ext. 1319, or Health-Link, MCMH, 667-2474, or visit www.mainehospital.org.