NIUMALU — Charity work is rarely easy, but it’s even harder with scheduling conflicts. The East Kaua‘i Lions Club had less than three hours to repaint the Niumalu Pavilion Saturday. “Somebody forgot to book the place so we need to
NIUMALU — Charity work is rarely easy, but it’s even harder with scheduling conflicts.
The East Kaua‘i Lions Club had less than three hours to repaint the Niumalu Pavilion Saturday.
“Somebody forgot to book the place so we need to be out of here before 10 a.m.,” said EK Lion Roy Nishida, coordinator for the partnership service project.
The EK Lions adopted the popular pavilion several years ago, and on Saturday were doing repairs and repainting under a program with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
Kate Layne and Shayne Tokita of the Easter Seals of Kaua‘i were also on hand, but not to work.
Instead, Layne accepted a grant for $10,000 from the Weinberg Foundation in exchange for the Lions’ work.
“We’ve done this for the past several years,” Nishida said. “This time, the beneficiary is the Easter Seals of Kaua‘i.”
Nishida said they were able to secure the help of the Kaua‘i High School Leo Club, which operates under the auspices of the EK Lions Club, as well as the Kaua‘i Board members of Sassy G magazine, a popular young adult publication that is available to high school students.
“Some of the Sassy G Kaua‘i boardmembers are also members of the Leo Club, so they do double-duty,” Nishida said. “And some of them even came out as early as 6:30 this morning so they could get the work done.”
Kori Sakamoto, a Sassy G boardmember from Waimea High School, tumbled out of bed early following a late-night basketball game Friday.
Other students had an agenda filled with other activities — KIF Paddling and soccer.
But that didn’t deter their efforts in the slightest as Jayme Jacinto joined other students in repainting the showers at one end of the park.
“I love to paint,” said Dorothy Hoe, advisor for the Leo Club said, taking over on one of the paint-rollers from a Lion.
People can always ask us if they need their places repainted, Lion Kelvin Moniz said. “We can use the funds for the Lions. They can make a donation to the club.”
Lion Wayne Mukai took the opportunity to announce the club’s annual pancake breakfast March 4 at the Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
“If you can’t find a Lion to buy tickets from, just come,” Moniz said. “The tickets are the same at the door, and we’ll have the miso soup!”
