KILAUEA — Silently weeping tears of corroded metal, the Kilauea Lighthouse is crying out for the community’s support. The Kilauea Point Natural History Association has heard the cry for help and has organized a campaign — Beacon for the Generations
KILAUEA — Silently weeping tears of corroded metal, the Kilauea Lighthouse is crying out for the
community’s support.
The Kilauea Point Natural History Association has heard the cry for help and has organized a campaign — Beacon for the Generations to Come — in an attempt to raise enough money to restore the state icon so that it may once again regain the confidence it needs to stand proud.
Volunteers of KPNHA officially launched the $1 million fundraising crusade at a private ceremony held Thursday evening at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The event drew many individuals to the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian islands.
Campaign Honorary Chairwoman Linda Moriarty, the “first lady” of Kilauea Point, explained why.
“Kilauea Lighthouse means so much to us,” said Moriarty, who was married to the late Dan Moriarty, refuge manager between 1979 and 1990 and among those who founded KPNHA in 1983. “We cherish the lighthouse and look forward to raising the funds and getting the support from the community so that it can sustain us and our children for generations to come.”
It only took one night for the group to meet its fundraising goal, thanks to U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Hawai‘i Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“I’ve already advised my committee that in the next fiscal year, $1 million will be set aside for the restoration,” he said, followed by a round of applause from the audience and a standing ovation.
“It’s a special project,” said U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye when asked why he chose to support the restoration effort. “I’ve been involved with this area for a long, long time.”
Inouye said he has been involved in funding “all the activities of the government” and has done his best to convince his colleagues that, while jobs and meals are vital, one should “never forsake other values in life; the things that surround us.”
“We should be concerned about beauty and music … the birds, the wildlife, the fishes … these things are essential also,” he said as Wedge-tailed Shearwaters made their nightly musical serenade in the background.
Regardless of his pledge, Inouye still challenged the restoration committee to continue raising their funds “so that on the hundredth anniversary, we’ll be here together.”
KPNHA Board Member and Restoration Campaign Family Segment Chairman Donald McConnell said he hopes work can begin sooner rather than later.
“At the beginning of this, I was worried about getting the money, but now I’m worried about getting the money and how fast it’s corroding,” he said.
“The forces of nature and the ravages of time do not rest and neither should we,” said Restoration Campaign General Chairman Gary Smith. “Today’s economic slow-down only strengthens our resolve to get the job done. Procrastination will only increase the risk for further damage and the potential catastrophic damage that another hurricane could bring.”
Campaign General Chairman and a part-time Kaua‘i resident William Strong feels passionately about the island and its community and has played a fundamental role in obtaining donations thus far.
“I thought this would be an excellent opportunity for those of us who are only here part-time to demonstrate how important this community is to all of us and to really show that we love the island and we love the community,” he said before hearing Inouye’s pledge. “We’re not here as much as all of you, but in many respects our hearts are always on this island.”
Sue Boynton, President of KPNHA, said 2006 saw 1 million visitors to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, creating a beneficial impact on the local economy, as well as providing an educational resource.
“Hawai‘i’s nine National Wildlife Refuges provide essential habitats for hundreds of at-risk species … some of which exist here and no where else on the earth,” she said earlier that evening.
“If we didn’t have champions like Sen. Inouye fighting for our Hawaiian refuges and natural resources, things would be much worse.”
For more information or to make a pledge, visit www.kilaueapoint.org or call 828-0384.
