Koloa Plantation Days 2015

Page 26

26 — THE GARDEN ISLAND, JULY 2015

Mahalo to these great supporters! T

he Koloa Plantation Days festival started 30 years ago on Kauai as a sesquicentennial celebration hosted by the Hawaii Sugar Planters Association with a parade through Koloa town and luau. It was so well received, the community came together to start an independent non- profit to host the festival each year, with the support of then Mayor Tony Kunimura. Thirty years later, we continue to be amazed by the tremendous commitment of the people who come together to make the festival possible each year. Hundreds of individuals and families come from area resorts, businesses, local non-profits and the Koloa community to talk story, share memories, pass on cultural traditions and information on local area history and share Kauai’s plantation history and diverse cultural roots with the next generation of residents and visitors. It is the people who come together year after year, inviting old friends and new participants, who make the festival what it is today – a unique festival that is both a community event and a visitor highlight and one that is now recognized as a Signature Event for Kauai by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Each year the committee meets to think up new ideas to keep the festival vibrant and relevant. This year, the theme is fittingly, “The Legacy Lives On” as we honor the past participants and look toward the future. In 2015, we honor Grove Farm celebrating 150 years and their kupuna as Parade Grand Marshall. Community members are invited to share their memories through a social media campaign during the festival and a 30 year commemorative guide to be created later this year. Please join the Board and Planning Committee us in saying a hearty “Mahalo” to all the individuals, families, organizations and businesses who came together to support this year’s festival. You can find a list of sponsoring and supporting organizations on page 14. Phyllis Kunimura, President

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• Phyllis Kunimura, President • Bertram Almeida, Board Member • Peter Baldwin, Board Treasurer • Bronson Ho, Board Member • Arryl Kaneshiro, Board Member • Jody Kjeldsen, Board Member • Valerie Roland, Board Member • Cheryl Shintani, Board Member • Scotty Vidinha, Board Member

PLANNING COMMITTEE

• Melissa McFerrin Warrack, Event Committee Chair and Coordinator • Scotty Vidinha, Park Setup Coordinator • Peter Baldwin, Park Setup Asst. • Arryl Kaneshiro, Parade Coordinator • Cheryl Shintani, Assistant Parade Coordinator • Joe and Paulette Grace, Food Booth Coordinators • Judy Webb, Craft Booths Coordinator • Cheryl Ann Farrell, Silent Auction Coordinator • Vilia Shimomura, Entertainment Coordinator • Tony Pajela, Chief of Security • Bertram Almeida, Park Setup Asst. • Representatives of supporting organizations listed on page 14.


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Koloa Plantation Days 2015 by The Garden Island Newspaper - Issuu