(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi Island Visitor Industry Charity Walk recently raised $282,000 for local non-profits, participants say.

From the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association:

The Hawai‘i Island Visitor Industry Charity Walk hosted an event Friday at the Hilton Waikōloa to distribute grants to local nonprofit organizations from around the island. The monies were generated through the annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk which was held in a virtual format for the first time this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was blown away by the results of this year’s Visitor Industry Charity Walk,” said HLTA President & CEO Mufi Hannemann. “Despite being limited to a virtual platform, our partners on Hawai‘i Island did an amazing job in developing new and creative ways to raise money that will undoubtedly help numerous local nonprofits to further their missions.”

The Visitor Industry Charity Walk, which was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returned this year with strong fundraising performances on each island. In total, more than $2.053 million was raised that has been distributed to more than 100 nonprofit organizations around the state. On Hawai‘i Island, organizations including Teach for America, Habitat for Humanity – West Hawai‘i, the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Hawaii Diaper Bank participated in Charity Walk and were awarded grants for their efforts.

HLTA Hawai‘i Island Chapter Chair Craig Anderson praised Charity Walk organizers including Charity Walk Chair Simon Amos and Coordinator Bambi Lau, noting that “this year’s Charity Walk presented new challenges that organizers and participants met head on. Their efforts resulted in an impressive fundraising haul that will further the missions of numerous Hawai‘i Island nonprofit organizations that tirelessly serve the local community.”