LIHU‘E — The East Kaua‘i Lions Club spent part of its Thursday meeting taking care of youth in sports, presenting two awards of $500 each to the Lihu‘e Pop Warner Association and the Kaua‘i Youth Football programs at its meeting
LIHU‘E — The East Kaua‘i Lions Club spent part of its Thursday meeting taking care of youth in sports, presenting two awards of $500 each to the Lihu‘e Pop Warner Association and the Kaua‘i Youth Football programs at its meeting site at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center.
“Youth sports is a healthy and important part of community life,” said Kelvin Moniz, co-chair of the EK Lions Youth Committee.
Deanna Starinieri, chair of the EK Lions Youth Committee, made the presentation to Jason Apilado, coach of the LPWA Junior Pee Wee tackle football team, who just returned from a 13-12 win over the Kihei Dolphins during the Maui Bowl Saturday on the Valley Isle.
“This came down to a blocked point-after,” Apilado said, introducing his Shrine Game players who participated in the annual Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League benefit for the Shriner’s Hospital and the Shrine Club on Kaua‘i at Vidinha Stadium. “The entire game on Maui was a see-saw affair and everything boiled down to that blocked point-after. The kids played well.”
The Lihu‘e Patriots’ win completes a winning trip for KPWFL when the Hanapepe Colts JPW team came home with a 33-6 win over Lahainaluna to advance to the Regional Championship game against the Manoa JPW at Vidinha Stadium, the winner advancing to the National Pop Warner Super Bowl in Orlando, Fla. in early December.
Moniz, no stranger to youth football as a field official, said the award to Lihu‘e is split between the football program and the cheer program.
Lihu‘e JPW Cheer Squad with Coach Krystal Pongasi, said the girls and a group of supporters will be heading for the National Pop Warner Dance and Cheer Competition in Orlando, Fla. to be held in conjunction with the football championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
Roy Nishida of the EK Lions Foundation presented the second award of $500 to Brad Hiranaka, commissioner of the Kaua‘i Youth Football league, for safety equipment.
Hiranaka, in thanking the Lions for the award, said he doesn’t even have any children participating in KYF, but knows how expensive safety can be. He also serves as a football official during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation football season.
The KYF teams, playing its season in the shadow of KIF football and the KPWFL league, wraps up its season next weekend with football, Hiranaka said.
“Friday, the teams will be able to watch the finals of the First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association games,” he said. “Saturday, the teams play a game during the day and that night, they get to watch the University of Hawai‘i host the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at Aloha Stadium.”
The weekend wraps up Sunday when the KYF teams play another round of games and enjoy a potluck before returning home.
“That’s a lot of football,” Hiranaka said. “But the season is not over because there is a possibility KYF will be hosting an off-island team, Dec. 1. We just have to wait and see.”
The East Kaua‘i Lions Club meets on the first and third Thursday of each month starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center located at 3353 Eono St. in Lihu‘e. For more information visit www.eastkauai.lionwap.org.
