LIHU‘E — Kiwanis Club member Cheryl Shintani was worried about how the firefighters were going to get their breakfast Sunday at the Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria. “What if they have to respond to a call?” Shintani asked. “Do we need
LIHU‘E — Kiwanis Club member Cheryl Shintani was worried about how the firefighters were going to get their breakfast Sunday at the Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria.
“What if they have to respond to a call?” Shintani asked. “Do we need to move them up in the line, or just let them wait?”
The firefighters from the Lihu‘e fire station were content to wait in the line which snaked out the doors of the cafeteria and along the sidewalk at the Kiwanis Club French Toast Breakfast.
“We sold about 500 more tickets than last year, so it is going to get busy,” said Kiwanis Club member Florence Teshima who was the one-person greeter and ticket seller/collector. “By the time everything ends, we’ll probably go through about 1,700 meals. And it’s going to be even bigger next year.”
Raisa Carlos, a Kaua‘i High School tennis player, was among those waiting in line with Jasmine Ikeda, another tennis player who were celebrating their sweep over Waimea, Saturday in Hanapepe.
“We had to each sell 10 tickets,” Carlos said. “But I sold 40, two of which Jasmine purchased.”
Diners enjoyed a meal of assorted fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage, rice sprinkled with furikake nori and French toast, washing everything down with juice or coffee.
Derek Kawakami, recently appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie as a state representative, took advantage of the event to reacquaint himself with constituents, many stopping to shake his hand and congratulate him on the appointment.
“Do you want a cup of coffee?” Kawakami asked, a stack of cups and a hot pot in hand. “I can serve you right now.”
Proceeds from the event help fund the many community service projects by the Kiwanis Club as well as the Key Clubs from both Kaua‘i and Kapa‘a high schools. Funds also go toward the Kiwanis scholarships which are scheduled to be presented to graduating high school seniors later this month.
Alton Amimoto was one of the early diners, taking in breakfast before heading out to his son’s Kaua‘i Junior Golf Association tournament at the Princeville Golf Course.
“You missed out the dance performance,” Amimoto said. “If you got here earlier, you would have seen the little girls doing their dances.”
He was referring to the dancers of the Aloha Dance Studio who graced the stage early.
“We have the Tsunami Taiko from the Westside performing along with the dancers,” said Mary Pigao who coordinated the entertainment. “The morning closes with a performance from the Kapa‘a Middle School choir and ukulele band who did well at the Heritage Music Festival in California.”
Scott Nonaka is the president of the Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i which meets twice monthly on the second and fourth Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Hanama‘ulu Restaurant.
Visit www.angelfire.com/on4/kauaikiwanis/index.html for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
