More than 1,000 walkers raised $35,000 to help the Kauai United Way yesterday. “This is a pretty good crowd,” said Loretta Geis, a United Way staff member who was on hand early to greet the walkers. Two of the groups
More than 1,000 walkers raised $35,000 to help the Kauai United Way yesterday.
“This is a pretty good crowd,” said Loretta Geis, a United Way staff member who was on hand early to greet the walkers.
Two of the groups walking on Saturday were the Kaua‘i High School chorus under David Conrad and the Kapa‘a Middle School choral music program under Mary Lardizabal. Both groups are working toward funding trips to the Mainland, with Conrad’s group heading for a New York performance tour and Lardizabal’s singers targeting Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., for the Heritage Music Festival in March 2008.
The Kapa‘a chorus raised almost $6,000 yesterday, said Scott Giarman, director of the Kauai United Way.
“The kicker is that the groups who participate get to keep half of the funds they raise,” he added.
In addition to walking, Lardizabal accompanied the group on keyboards while they rendered the national and state anthems to kick off the walk at the mall.
Other participating organizations included the ‘Ae Kamalii Preschool, the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji, the Key Club of Kaua‘i High School and the Kapa‘a High School Interact club, which split into two groups so half could walk while the other half manned the food line.
Some groups with conflicting schedules arranged to raise money at a different time. They include about 1,800 walkers for the American Youth Soccer Organization, which had games yesterday, as well as Kula School participants, who will walk at their campus in Waipake, said Giarman.
The Saturday walk, started by Dr. Arthur Loo, marked the 42nd hosted by United Way. Giarman said in addition to the walk, the Kauai United Way has also hosted a very successful golf tournament in July and a Hidden Treasures event in conjunction with the Grove Farm Homestead Museum.
The organization’s mission is providing leadership to unite the people of Kaua‘i by sharing resources to better care for one another. All of the programs Kauai United Way supports are located on-island.
For more information, visit www.kauaiunitedway.org or call 245-2043.
