Fundraiser to feature songs and stories of Kaua‘i in ‘40s and ‘50s The Kaua‘i Historical Society will celebrate Kaua‘i’s lively 1940s and 1950s during its annual fundraiser Saturday. The Pa‘ina 2013 Fundraiser Banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i
Fundraiser to feature songs and stories of Kaua‘i in ‘40s and ‘50s
The Kaua‘i Historical Society will celebrate Kaua‘i’s lively 1940s and 1950s during its annual fundraiser Saturday.
The Pa‘ina 2013 Fundraiser Banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort in Nukoli‘i. Headlining the evening will be Hawaiian-born singer Melveen Leed.
“She’s always a crowd pleaser,” KHS Director Mary Requilman said. “She’s very down to earth and a wonderful singer.”
Requilman said KHS’ annual fundraiser has been ongoing since 1989, when Grace Guslander — the former general manager of the Coco Palms Resort — donated proceeds from her 80th birthday party to KHS. Later, she said the event “evolved” into what KHS calls the Royal Pa‘ina.
“We change the name every year,” Requilman said. “Each takes on a different theme. We try to keep it related to Kaua‘i’s history.”
Through songs and stories, this year’s fundraiser will celebrate the lively 40s and 50s — from the post-Depression years through World War II, to the new post-war society — when people, businesses and island life went through many changes.
At 5:30 p.m., the Jasmine Ballroom’s doors will open for no-host cocktails, music by Darryl Gonzales and a silent auction featuring antiques and estate items, jewelry, boutique clothing, home accessories, rare books, golf and dining certificates and resort stays.
Following a bountiful buffet of local cuisine by chefs at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort, Emcee Maka Herrod will host the KTOH Radio Hour. Interviews will include Mike Ashman, Judge Bill Fernandez and Hobey Goodale.
Ashman, the pioneering announcer at KTOH — the island’s first radio station — is the author of “Kaua‘i as it was in the 1940s and ’50s,” a memoir which inspired KHS to combine stories and songs of those decades in this year’s program.
The evening’s entertainment will conclude with a performance by Leed, one of Hawai‘i’s greatest singers.
“Since Melveen Leed began singing at church and family gatherings on Moloka‘i, she has developed her repertoire and her distinctive style into a memorable career of concerts worldwide and produced an amazing library of recordings through the years,” a release states. “Drawing from her CD released in 2012, ‘I Wish You Love,’ plus songs from the 1940s and ’50s, Melveen promises a lively program full of romantic ballads, jazz and country tunes.”
Malama Auctions and Appraisals will conduct the event’s live auction, which will include a clamshell sink from the Coco Palms Resort.
Tickets for this event are $85 per person. Tables of ten are available for $800.
For tickets or more information contact the Kaua‘i Historical Society at 245-3373 or e-mail director@kauaihistoricalsociety.org.
