Humpback whales are Maui festival's big stars

By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 13, 2011

~~<p>In the late 1970s, Maui whale activist Greg Kaufman would round up two dozen volunteers to put on annual festivities at Kalama Park in Kihei in honor of Hawaii's most famous winter visitors, the humpback whales.</p>
<p>They would cook big pots of chili and rice, ask local musicians to perform and invite the public to attend. Kaufman founded the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation in 1980, and the organization presented the first "formal" Whale Day that year, based on the same concept of bringing people together to celebrate the whales with food, fun and music.</p>
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In the late 1970s, Maui whale activist Greg Kaufman would round up two dozen volunteers to put on annual festivities at Kalama Park in Kihei in honor of Hawaii's most famous winter visitors, the humpback whales.

They would cook big pots of chili and rice, ask local musicians to perform and invite the public to attend. Kaufman founded the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation in 1980, and the organization presented the first "formal" Whale Day that year, based on the same concept of bringing people together to celebrate the whales with food, fun and music. Login for more...