Photo courtesy Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association

(BIVN) – A check presentation event was recently held at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kona, as a wrap-up to the Hawai‘i Island Visitor Industry Charity Walk that was held in May. Over over $350,000 was distributed to non-profits by the Hawai‘i Island Chapter.

From a Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association news release:

The Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association’s Hawai‘i Island Chapter held its check presentation at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai last Friday. The breakfast gathering was part of the wrap-up from the Hawai‘i Island Visitor Industry Charity Walk that was held on May 13. The event concludes a campaign that raised $2.7 million statewide for various nonprofits – second only to the $2.75 million collected in 2019. This year, the Hawai‘i Island Chapter distributed over $350,000.

Attendees representing over 40 nonprofit organizations from all over the island were treated to breakfast, and Four Seasons Hualalai’s Cultural Manager Ka‘ai‘ōhelo McAfee-Torco kicked off the check presentation with a traditional chant.

“The Hawai‘i Island Charity Walk for me is particularly special. We’re a big island with an even stronger community, so it brings all corners of the island together,” said Charlie Parker, general manager and regional vice president of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. Parker, who served as the chair for the 2023 Hawai‘i Island Charity Walk. He also stated what makes their chapter’s charity walk stand out. “The walk itself is fun, but it’s the ‘after the walk’ celebration when the hotels and resorts come together and there’s some friendly rivalry about who has the best: food tents, food offerings… so it’s a celebration as well of our culinary talent. And that’s the fun part – who doesn’t like to have something to eat and drink after you’ve been out walking or running for about six kilometers? So that’s a unique part about our event as well.”

“This is a community event for the community. And those that participate – both charities and nonprofits, the hotel and its employees… They’re giving of their time, they’re giving of their money, they’re giving of their resources. So I would just like to say mahalo to everyone that makes Charity Walk the meaningful event that it is, and the fact that it brings the community together,” stated Parker.

According to Nā Kālai Waʻa Executive Director and Pwo Navigator Chadd ʻOnohi Paishon, “Charity Walk is an opportunity for our communities to come together, and for us to spend the time that we have together to support one another; to see all the different organizations that are in our community, and really to have a day to celebrate – because of what we’ve jointly done together. It’s a great day, because we all get to realize that everyone that’s there is benefitting from what everyone’s doing, that we get to be a part of that.” Paishon’s organization focused on passing on knowledge to the future generations about non-instrument navigation or wayfinding, is one of the Charity Walk’s nonprofit recipients.

“We’re always pleased to see the continued success of the statewide Visitor Industry Charity Walk,” said HLTA President & CEO Mufi Hannemann. “The amount of funds raised on Hawai‘i Island, greatly impacts all of the nonprofits that receive the funds. Major kudos to Charlie Parker and his committee for making all of this possible!”

The HLTA Visitor Industry Charity Walk was established in 1978 to help hundreds of local charities throughout Hawai‘i and has raised over $45 million since its inception.