KAPAA — Randall Francisco said first experience at the Kapaa Interfaith Association community Thanksgiving luncheon was Thursday. “I heard about this and thought I would come see it firsthand before going shopping,” Francisco said while watching volunteers from Kapaa area
KAPAA — Randall Francisco said first experience at the Kapaa Interfaith Association community Thanksgiving luncheon was Thursday.
“I heard about this and thought I would come see it firsthand before going shopping,” Francisco said while watching volunteers from Kapaa area churches serving meals to an overflow crowd.
Mark Oyama of Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering said his crew volunteered to serve more than 600 meals at the All Saints Gym in Kapaa.
“We’ve already gone through 300 deliveries,” Oyama said. “They went out between Lihue and Anahola and now, it’s just cleaning up.”
Meals were served by volunteers from the All Saints Episcopal Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Kapaa Hongwanji Temple, the Kapaa Jodo Mission, the Kapaa Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Kapaa United Church of Christ and St. Catherine’s Church.
Sybil Nishioka of the All Saints Church said churches in the Kapaa Interfaith Association raise the funds to purchase the food ingredients. Oyama and his staff prepare and serve the meals.
“We get lots of volunteers to deliver the meals which are packaged with placemats created by the youth and laminated,” Nishioka said. “The older youth from each church serve and bus the tables. It is such a wonderful community event.”
The event got help from the Tuesday Men’s Basketball Club, the Kapaa High School Interact Club, Growing Greens Nursery, the Rotary Club of Kapaa, the Kapaa Ice Co., The Sloggett Fund, Kauai Coffee Co., and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
