The Rotary Club of Poipu Beach is holding its annual “One Fine Evening” fundraiser this Saturday, March 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Kilohana Luau Pavilion in Lihu‘e.
The Kaua‘i community has been enjoying this event for more than 20 years. It has been recognized as the island’s premier fine art, culinary, wine and music experience over that time.
“It’s sure to be a fun-filled night that will benefit so many worthy community programs on Kaua‘i,” said club president Rick Golba. “We have a great assortment of heavy pupus from ten top Kaua‘i chefs who will feature samplings of their fine cuisine, six talented artists who will show-case their unique artwork, and wine purveyors offering tastings of fine wines that aren’t readily available on Kaua‘i.”
Food stations this year will include Amaize, Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, Gaylord’s at Kilohana, Hukilau Lani, Kaua‘i Greens, Kaua‘i Community College Culinary Arts, Lappert’s, Sheraton Kapa’a Coconut Coast, Oasis on the Beach, and Uncle Bobby’s.
There will also be live music by Greenstone Project, a large silent auction, and a special connoisseur winetasting available for an additional donation of $20.
A crowd favorite feature of the event is also the selfie photo booth to capture your most outrageous image. The selfie booth is supplied by club member Kristin Hoshino’s Swell Photography business.
“One Fine Evening is our biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s wonderful to see island residents and visitors coming together to have a great night and sup-port important community projects at the same time,” said event chairperson Michael Curtis.
Club past president Milani Pimental pointed out how important sponsorships are to the club and to the community.
“The funds we raise from One Fine Evening are used toward scholarships, service projects, and community grants” said Pimental said.
A’u level sponsor for this year’s event is EerNisse Foundation. They are joined by Honu level sponsors Earthworks Pacific, HPM Building Supply, Kalaheo Dental, Wilcox Medical Center, Peter Baldwin, and Lee Bowen. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and Tire Warehouse are also Naia level sponsors this year.
Proceeds from the event benefit scholarships, community service projects, and community grants on Kaua‘i. Scholarships are awarded each year to Kaua‘i Community College students in the Culinary Arts, Nursing, and Skilled Trades programs.
Service projects include ongoing maintenance of beach rescue tubes. The club also hosts an annual Christmas party for 100 clients of Child and Family Services. They clean the highway between Kalaheo and ‘Ele‘ele. They also provide dictionaries to all third graders in four south shore schools.
Upcoming projects include painting at Kukui’olono Pavilion and a work day at Kauai Habitat for Humanity. With the other Kauai Rotary clubs, they also host a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) weekend camp for high school students.
Last year the club was able to provide $15,000 in community grants to over 20 nonprofits on the island, made possible from event proceeds.
Tickets for the 21-and-over event are $75 in advance, through Friday, and $100 at the door. Tickets are available at onefineevening.org, Dr. John Black, DDS in Lihue, Paradise Animal Clinic in Kalaheo, Ultimate Nails in Waimea, or from any member of the Rotary Club of Poipu Beach.
Rotary Club of Poipu Beach was created in 1982. The Club has more than thirty diverse professional members who all share a drive to give back to the community. The Club is a local chapter of Rotary International that was formed in 1905 and comprises 1.2 million members in clubs worldwide.
Meetings of the Rotary Club of Poipu Beach are held the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays at 7:15am at The Cabana Bar and Grill in Koloa. The first week of the month is an informal pau hana gathering. More information about the group and their programs is found at poipurotary.org.
