Sweet bread headlines today’s Holy Cross Altar Society bazaar

KALAHEO — Gloria Kaohi is 91 years young and came from Yakima, Wash. with a quilt and some craft items.

“She comes every year for the bazaar,” said Joyce Silva, president of the Holy Cross Altar Society.

“She works through the year and packs everything up to bring with her when she comes.”

That is just one of the items shoppers to the Holy Cross Altar Society Annual Bazaar can select from today from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Holy Cross Church parish hall on Kaumuali‘i Highway in Kalaheo.

“We had 500 sweet bread and it was all gone in eight minutes last year,” said one member of the society who was helping unpack batches of rolls made from Glenda Vierra’s sweet-bread recipe.

“This is good stuff. It’s home-made and it sells real fast. Last year, we had people standing in the dark, waiting for the doors to open.”

Scotty Vidinha was the only man in the crew of women who worked through Thursday starting at 5 a.m. to prepare items for the bazaar.

“He loves every minute of it,” Vidinha’s wife quipped when he asked for his name.

In addition to the quilts and sweet bread, other items to select from include hand-made crafts, an assortment of baked goods including cookies, assorted fruits and vegetables, pickles, jams, jellies and live plants.

There will also be prize giveaways throughout the event.

“This is the altar society’s once-a-year fundraiser,” Silva said.

“The altar society has about 40 members (with 80 hands) and it supports the church activities as well as takes care of all of the church’s altar needs.”

Silva said the society also helps with the church’s youth groups and CCD (religious education) classes.

Kaohi said she’s a Kaua‘i resident and is “just visiting” Yakima, where she’s resided for the past six years.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.