Get some exercise and raise money this weekend!

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This Saturday marks the 30th annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk! If you’re going to be in Hawaii this weekend and want a great way to mingle with the locals, raise money and of course sample some ono grinds at checkpoints along the way, this is the event for you! The following comes courtesy of their official website:

When and where is the statewide Charity Walk?
The 30th Annual VISITOR INDUSTRY CHARITY WALK will take place on: Saturday, MAY 17, 2008 (Always the 3rd Saturday)
OAHU (6 miles)
McCoy Pavilion (Ala Moana Beach Park) at 7:00 amBIG ISLAND (4 miles)
Anaehoomalu Bay at Waikoloa at 7:45 am for Runners and 8:00 am for WalkersKAUAI (2.9 miles)
Historic County Building at 7:00 amMAUI (5 miles)
Maui War Memorial Park Soccer Field at 7:00 am

Who can participate in the statewide Charity Walk and how do I register?
ANYBODY CAN! You do not have to be a hotel employee, or a member of the Hawai‘i Hotel & Lodging Association, or part of the visitor industry to participate. Invite your family, friends, neighbors, co workers, clients, schools, clubs, visitors/tourists … to join us in a morning of fun, food, fabulous entertainment and a little exercise to help raise funds for Hawaii‘s local charities. All walkers on Oahu, Big Island, and Maui are required to have a minimum of $35 for adults and $25 for those under 18 years of age (regardless of age including infants); and Kauai has a minimum of $35 for all walkers regardless of age to be collected in donations to participate in the CHARITY WALK.

For a rundown of FAQ’s and more information on how you can join in the fun, go to their official website!

Help the Kauai Food Bank

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SPRING FOOD DRIVE
through April 30, 2008

Look for your grocer bags and remittance envelopes in the Garden Island Newspaper on February 28. Drop off of healthy, non-perishable food items are accepted at every Fire Station on Kauai and at the Food Bank warehouse in Nawiliwili. For every dollar donated, it will bring a smile to those in need.

Not on the island but still want to contribute? CLICK HERE to donate online to help out Kauai’s needy!

Reserve your tickets for the MHS Fur Ball!

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It’s that time of year! The Maui Humane Society’s annual Fur Ball is coming up in March but reserve your tickets now. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, this a great event to attend and help out the animals of Maui. Just click on the picture to learn more or find out how you can donate if you cannot attend.

Kauai Food Bank Holiday Food Drive

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The Kauai Food Bank relies on donations to support their operations to provide food for the hungry. Their physical plant includes the maintenance of a 4,000 square-foot warehouse and a fleet of vehicles (including refrigerated trucks), forklifts, pallet jacks, etc. Their electricity bill exceeds $35,000 annually, primarily because of the size of their walk-in refrigerators. In addition to operational needs, they also purchase food and may pay shipping costs if needed. The Kauai Food Bank uses funds to buy and distribute food to people in need.

For every $1.00 donated, they can distribute $7.00 worth of groceries.

For every dollar donated, $0.95 feeds hungry people in Kauai County.

All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.Donor lists are not sold, rented or shared with other organizations.

Now through December 14th is their annual Holiday Food Drive. Drop off of healthy, non-perishable food items at every Fire Station on Kauai and at the Food Bank warehouse in Nawiliwili. If you’re not a resident but would still like to help, you can donate online at their website via credit card or Paypal.

Open your heart to Hawaii’s homeless animals

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When my husband and I went on our honeymoon in 1996, one of the stops we made on Kauai was to the Kauai Humane Society. It was in an old rickety building by Salt Pond Park but it had character and sadly was full of sweet furry faces. We have a dog, Aisha, that we were missing terribly and needed our “fur fix” while we were away from her. We took pictures of many of the dogs in there from excited adult dogs to pooped sleeping pups and they’re some of the best memories from our honeymoon. Of course we always remember the reluctant ones. The ones who were obviously abused and afraid of people…afraid to trust. We made a modest contribution of $25 on our way out since we couldn’t afford much being newlyweds but for our donation we got a keychain and magnet…both of which are in use to this day. We decided then that we would always visit a humane society no matter what island we ended up on.

Since then, we have visited every humane society on every island and have taken pictures and video of a lot of animals. People sometimes ask me why I take pictures of the animals in there because some look so sad and it seems depressing. For me, it’s a way to remember them and remember the hope I had for all of them as I walked from cage to cage. Each dog had a reaction whether it was an excited wag of the tail and feverishly licking your fingers to cowering in the corner and not sure if they wanted to approach you or not. Many would look at the picture of this sweetie and think of how sad she looks. I remember it was right after I said “whose a good girl? Are you a good baby?” and she thumped her tail on the ground and put her ears back for me to scratch behind them as if saying “yes lady…I AM a good girl…and I just want a home.” It breaks my heart because I can’t scoop them all up in my arms and take them to some big farm where they can all run free without the threat of their time running out. A place where they know they are loved even if they don’t have all of the attention. I’d give anything to be able to do that.

There are a lot of Pit bulls, Rotties and oddly enough Airedales in the islands. What always cracks me up is how you’ll get a little dog in and they’ll guess and say it’s a “chihuahua mix.” Many of these dogs look NOTHING like chihuahuas no matter how cross bred they were! *laughing* Hawaii’s pit bulls have some of the most aloha spirit of any dogs I’ve seen there. Take for instance this sweetie, her name is Darlin’. Darlin’ wanted nothing more than attention, to give kisses and scratches behind the ear. Any time I’d try to walk away she’d howl in protest until I came back to give her the love she so desperately wanted. I’d like to think Darlin’ is now getting regular belly rubs and smooches from the owner smart enough to adopt this bundle of fur. We now set aside a few hundred dollars specifically to donate to the humane societies each year to give back for all of the joy their temporary residents have given us over the years.

If you think you need to live in Hawaii to adopt one of these beautiful babies, you don’t. All you need is a love for animals, an adoption fee and a carrier to get them home in and you’ve got the perfect Hawaii souvenir that keeps giving aloha everyday. People do it all the time. Even celebs such as Mike Myers and Lisa Marie Presley have adopted animals from the Humane Societies on vacation. (Lisa Marie actually has Myspace pages for her 2 cats, Splotch and Finious!)

If you’d like to check out the local humane societies, see the links below:

Maui Humane Society

Hawaii Island Humane Society

Kauai Humane Society

Oahu Humane Society

A note for Kauaians and visitors from the Kauai Humane Society

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KHS Friends of the Kauai Coastal Pathway Cleanup

Always the first Sunday of the month, August 5, 7am

(Meet at entrance to pathway next to Otsukas in Kapaa)

Please come join us for a morning walk on the new pathway to clean up dog waste and advise all dog owners on their responsibilities so we can KEEP KAUAI DOG FRIENDLY!

For more info, call Linda at 632 -0610, ext. 102

If you can’t come this Sunday, join us the first Sunday of every month!

2007 Maui Humane Society Bark in the Park!

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Attention Valley Isle residents or those visiting Maui on Saturday August 18, 2007… sign up now for the 2007 Bark in the Park! Lots of fun and prizes and the walk benefits the Maui Humane Society! $25 entrance fee per participant and make sure you get sponsors to help the cause. Sign up before July 31st to ensure your shirt size is available. For more information go to this link at MHS.

Check out last year’s event!

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