LIHU‘E — Iwalani Dayton of the Easter Seals Hawai‘i pointed out a family quietly working on a gingerbread house Saturday at the Kukui Grove Center. “They’re from the temporary housing shelter,” Dayton said. “They’re here because they need something to
LIHU‘E — Iwalani Dayton of the Easter Seals Hawai‘i pointed out a family quietly working on a gingerbread house Saturday at the Kukui Grove Center.
“They’re from the temporary housing shelter,” Dayton said. “They’re here because they need something to celebrate the season with.”
Mason Williams, the Acting CEO for Easter Seals Hawai‘i, said this year, a new facet of the Easter Seals Gingerbread Festival was to be able to provide gingerbread house kits for people who would not be able to afford the kits.
“With the help of sponsors, we were able to distribute 100 kits on O‘ahu and another 50 for the Outer Islands,” said Williams, who was on Kaua‘i Friday for a special Christmas party for families of the Early Intervention Center by Matson Navigation. “That family is exactly whom we want to have a kit.”
Liz-Ann Vidinha of the Easter Seals of Kaua‘i office said Kaua‘i received 250 kits and by the end of Saturday’s family event, only two were remaining. People are able to get the remaining kits for $29 with each kit containing four gingerbread walls, two rooftops, a variety of candies for decorating, white icing, a cardboard foundation and clear cellophane wrapping.
A feature of the 11th annual Gingerbread Family Festival, presented by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and Napoleon’s Bakery, was the Keiki Competition. At the Kaua‘i event, Kapa‘a High School took first and second places in the high school division with its “House A” and “House B.”
The Koloa Elementary School topped the Elementary A-Plus Program entries followed by Koloa Elementary’s House No. 3. Kalaheo Elementary School’s House No. 3 earned the third-place spot in the division.
St. Theresa School in Kekaha earned top honors in the Preschool division with its House No. 2, the All Saints Preschool from Kapa‘a getting the runner-up spot with its House No. 1 and the Koloa Early Learning School getting third-place honors with its House No. 2.
“This is not ideal weather for gingerbread,” said Shane Tokita of the Easter Seals Kaua‘i. “The humidity is too high and the houses are collapsing.”
The statement came after several of the judged entries collapsed within its protective cellophane wrapping.
“It’s a mess,” said Jacob Punzal. “We just came from my son’s T-ball game in Kekaha and I think they just want to take a nap. This house is all over the place.”
Jacob, with sons Po‘o and Ka‘eo, got help from Jacob’s brother, Dr. Joel Punzal, in pushing the pieces together for form a gingerbread creation.
Kaua‘i sponsors include FM97, Long’s Drugs and Kukui Grove Center.
The Easter Seals Family Gingerbread Festival was founded by Chef Alan Wong and is expected to draw more than 6,000 participants statewide, requiring 4,200 sheets of gingerbread, 18,300 bags of candy, 8,400 cups of icing and almost 500 volunteers.
Easter Seals Hawai‘i has been providing services to infants, children and adults with disabilities and other special needs as well as support to their families since 1946.
Visit www.easterseals.com for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
