WAILUA — Organizers are seeking more than 200 volunteers to clean up 65-acre Lydgate Park Saturday.
The large-scale endeavor follows Earth Day and coincides with Volunteer Week Hawai‘i, a statewide initiative organized by Honolulu-based nonprofit Kanu Hawai‘i.
“Anyone is invited to come, because we can always find a place for them,” said Tom Worthen of Friends of Kamalani &Lydgate Park, the group organizing the event.
“We have community people, we have tourists that are showing up to say, ‘Hey, I want to give my time,’” Worthen continued. “Anybody, at any age, we can find something for you.”
The Lydgate cleanup will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, the last day of Volunteer Week.
Participants will meet at the Kamalani Playground area for he‘iau restoration, beach cleanup, park beautification and playground maintenance.
“The other reason that you get together is to build community spirit,” Worthen said. “Because when a community comes together for a single purpose, it’s for the benefit of Kaua‘i.”
Work will conclude at 11 a.m. Lunch will be provided while supplies last.
Friends of Kamalani’s David Lister encourages those unable to attend to tune in to Star 94.3.
Lister, the local radio station’s on-island manager, will announce updates and prizes throughout the morning.
“I’m there every week and I see tourists communicating and having a great time with the local people, local people giving them advice on where to go. It’s a special thing,” Lister said. “You see a lot of families out there. Little kids in the Morgan Pond area. When you see that, it’s hard not to come back next week and help out.”
Volunteer Week Hawai‘i is the local iteration of a nationwide movement started under President Richard Nixon in 1974. It was formally recognized by the state Legislature in 2018.
This year, Kanu Hawai‘i anticipates more than 10,000 volunteers will participate at more than 250 events statewide.
Thirty-one volunteer opportunities are available on Kaua‘i through Volunteer Week and beyond, according to the website kanuhawaii.org.
The website lists one-time events, like a Youth Climate Summit on May 7, and ongoing positions in groups like Malama Kaua‘i, The Salvation Army and Project Vision Hawai‘i.
“Everybody loves Earth Day. It’s a kickoff point and a reminder to everybody to give back to their community,” said Matt Lane, Kanu Hawai‘i’s Volunteer Week organizer. “But those are continuous programs that happen all year long. A lot of these things you can volunteer for weekly, monthly and annually. You don’t just have to volunteer for Volunteer Week.”
To sign up for the April 23 cleanup at Lydgate Beach Park, visit kamalani.us.
‘E ala E’ for Earth Day
Voices throughout the Hawaiian Islands will join on Earth Day this Friday for a statewide oli (Hawaiian chant) at sunrise.
The hour-long event, which will begin at 5 a.m., will take place at Hikina A Kala He‘iau by Lydgate Park.
“The message behind ‘E ala E’ – the roots of it – is to rise, to wake up,” Lane said. “…We’re also inviting people nationally and internationally to join us.”
The oli will be facilitated by a kumu, according to Lane.
More information regarding the Earth Day event, including a downloadable copy of the chant and sign-up and contact information, is online at kanuhawaii.org/e-ala-e-2022/.
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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
