KAPA‘A — JR Guerrero of the Boys &Girls Club Kapa‘a Clubhouse said the kids are going to be stoked when they come in today.
“They’re going to be surprised to see this,” Guerrero said. “And then, they are going to be stoked with this new equipment. Do you want to see me dunk one?”
Guerrero watched as Stan Greenbaum of the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a was joined by volunteer Brian Barretto of Hawaiian Island Properties power-washing the basketball court that sprouted new equipment Sunday. The power-washing is the first step in the post-installation phase that includes resurfacing the court and repainting the striping.
The Rotary Club of Kapa‘a combined efforts with a group of volunteers to finalize the equipment installation.
“This is heavy stuff,” Guerrero said. “They had to forklift the backboards up and support it in place while the guys bolted it in place. This is heavy-duty material.”
Greenbaum said the project started a year ago after the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a was able to acquire the equipment from Ironclad Sports of Hutchinson, Kansas at a good discount, as well as provide shipping to San Diego.
Pasha Hawai‘i provided the shipping from California to Nawilwili Harbor, where Brian Curll of the Pu‘uwai Canoe Club, also a member of the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a, trailered the equipment from the harbor to the clubhouse, where Guerrero and his crew moved everything indoors for safekeeping.
Foundations were dug using a Kubota excavator donated by and operated by Keola Gonsalves of Nawainavea Equipment Rentals with help from Fred and Dominique Matayoshi of the Eastside Basketball League that opened its eight-week series of play last Saturday at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a.
“We found out about this after talking with
JR Guerrero about using the court for some of the league play,” Dominique Matayoshi said. “We just came to help because that is something we can do. With the new equipment, this is a regulation court.”
“Keith Duffy and his brother, Kelly Chase Lott of Kick Ass Construction, mixed and poured 70 bags of 5000# concrete that was donated by The Home Depot,” Greenbaum said. “They also mixed and poured three bags of Hawaiian Cement — yes, that’s a real thing — to form the two foundations that were set with re-bar and mounting plates by Fred Matayoshi and Brian Barretto of Hawaiian Island Properties. The Hawaiian Cement donated by Duffy was used to finish off the tops of the foundations.”
During the project, five Rotarians — Alex Ahana, Greenbaum, Renee Hicks, Jakki Nelson and Tsige Gesit — provided support along with coffee and doughnuts.
Following the necessary down time needed for the concrete to cure properly, the volunteers completed the installation Sunday as Guerrero wheeled off the existing backboard while Greenbaum and Barretto started power-washing the court that had been manicured by Gonsalves and the Bobcat used to install the heavy posts and backboards.
“Now the kids up the hill have something to do,” Fred Matayoshi said Saturday while watching the Eastside Basketball League players take the court.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
