Visitor Industry Charity Walk raises $2.5M for Hawaii charities

The Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, which concluded Saturday when 7,000 walkers and volunteers turned out for Oahu’s effort, raised more than $2.5 million statewide for local charities.

This year was the 41st annual series of walks held by the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association. In addition to Saturday’s walk on Oahu, walks were held May 4 on Lanai and Molokai and May 11 on Hawaii island, Kauai and Maui.

Since its inception in 1974, the charity walk has raised more than $28 million, including a record $2.7 million last year.

Mufi Hannemann, HLTA President and CEO, said in a statement, “We are thrilled with the community’s response to the charity walk. What’s most meaningful about the charity walk is that it’s the visitor industry’s way of showing its profound appreciation for the community by way of its fiscal contribution.”