KAPA‘A — There are new hoops coming to the Boys &Girls Club, Kapa‘a Clubhouse.
“It might be installed as early as next week,” said Fred Matayoshi, one of the volunteers who turned out Sunday for a Rotary Club of Kapa‘a work day. “Today, we digging the footing holes, removing the old concrete, and putting in the mounting plate for the new equipment. Then, the concrete needs to cure for about a week, and hopefully, everything else will be put in.”
Equipment for the new basketball court was acquired by the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a who were on hand to ensure that everything was done properly and in compliance of warranty requirements for the new poles, backboards, and hoop frames.
The Rotarians recruited help from volunteers like Kick Ass Construction and the Matayoshi ‘ohana to get the new equipment installed properly.
“Keith Duffy, the owner operator for Kick Ass Construction likes to things for the kids,” said Kelly Lott who helped with the heavy work of hole digging and concrete removal. “Me and my boy like to come up here to play hoops. What? We getting new hoops? Everybody going come.”
John Bungula of the Boys &Girls Club, Kapa‘a Clubhouse had to agree.
“I’m here because JR Guerrero had things to do with his church,” Bungula said. “Yeah, when this is done, all kinds of people from Wailua and Kapa‘a going be here.”
Dominique Matayoshi, the coordinator of the Eastside Basketball League that opened an eight-week series, Saturday, said they had approached the Boys &Girls Club, Kapa‘a for use of the court for some of the league’s practices that includes 30 teams with more than 300 participating keiki from Grade 2 through Grade 8.
That is when she learned of the project, and turned out with several of the league coaches to help the Rotarians.
“We couldn’t do it, Saturday,” Dominique said. “That’s when we started league play. We were down at the Bryan J. Baptiste Memorial Sports Complex until 10 p.m., went home to sleep, and here we are.”
Rotarian Stan Greenbaum said once the hardware is installed, plans call for resurfacing and repainting the court, and further protect the court from vehicular damage once school re-opens.
“This is not the first project we’ve done for the Boys &Girls Club, Kapa‘a Clubhouse,” Greenbaum said. “We built their clubhouse.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
