Demand for the Waikiki Community Center’s services has grown so much that the nonprofit wants to raise $450,000 in charitable contributions — its largest event goal ever— at its signature Waikiki Lights gala.
WAIKIKI LIGHTS
>> When: Sept. 30, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
>> Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Coral Ballroom
>> Honorees: Chris Tatum, vice president for Marriott Hawaii; local entertainers Henry Kapono Ka’aihue and Lezlee Ka’aihue; Jean Rolles, vice president of community relations for Outrigger Enterprises
>> Why: Sponsorship helps the Waikiki Community Center provide programs and services to children and seniors who live and work in Waikiki.
>> Registration: waikikicommunitycenter.org or email jokimura@waikikicommunitycenter.org or call (808)923-1802, ext. 108. Deadline Sept. 23.
>> Ticket prices: $450 for individuals, table prices for eight start at $3,500
The gala, which will be held Sept. 30 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, is the most important fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit, which provides multigenerational services for a growing pool of clients. It’s also a way to recognize the center’s most supportive volunteers and businesses. This year’s honorees include Chris Tatum, vice president and market general manager for Marriott Hawaii; local entertainer Henry Kapono Ka’aihue and his wife and industry veteran, Lezlee Ka’aihue; and Jean Rolles, vice president of community relations for the Outrigger Enterprises Group.
“The Waikiki Community Center is in our backyard — we are neighbors,” said Tatum, who has been with Marriott for 35 years. “As a company we have a ‘spirit to serve’ philosophy. We live here, we’re here (in Waikiki) more than we are at home. It’s important to do the right thing for the community.”
Rolles, the daughter of Outrigger founders Roy and Estelle Kelley, said she grew up in Waikiki and has seen the improvements that the nonprofit has made during its 38 years in the community.
“We like to make donations and support organizations that help our employees,” she said.
Rolles said the center is a “one-stop shop” for human services, social support, lifelong education and wellness for Waikiki’s families. The center supports everything from homelessness prevention to low-cost preschool options, volunteering opportunities, outlets for socializing and making sure that people have enough to eat, she added.
“It takes care of the residents that sometimes are forgotten in Waikiki and it helps the tourists,” she said.
Kapono Ka’aihue, who grew up in Kapahulu, talked about his passion for the issues facing Waikiki, especially homelessness.
“I think it takes everybody committing to making a difference, not just one person,” Kapono Ka’aihue said. “One person can start it, but everyone needs to understand that it’s affecting them and the future of the islands. … If we don’t do something about it, it will be dismal. It won’t be paradise anymore.”
THE center is stretching its resources to meet the needs of keiki and kupuna, who are the center’s main focus. Its senior case coordination services have increased by 250 percent over the last three years.
“We are seeing more cases where the needs are greater and more urgent and the volume is expected to grow,” Waikiki Community Center Executive Director Caroline Hayashi said.
According to the latest census, seniors over age 60 make up 30 percent of Waikiki’s population, and that population is expected to increase another 310 percent over the next 20 years, Hayashi said. In the next two decades, the projected increase for seniors 85 and over is 1,378 percent, she said.
