A Tradition of Giving
Supporting the local community was one of the founding tenets of Waikoloa Beach Resort, and one shining example is the annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk. As the largest single-day fundraising event by a non-profit organization in the state, thousands of people participate in the walk each May on Hawai`i Island, Maui, O`ahu and Kaua`i. Funds raised go directly to worthy non-profit organizations on each island.
The Charity Walk began 45 years ago on O`ahu as a way for the Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) and its non-profit arm, Hawai`i Hotel Industry Foundation (HHIF), to give back to their community. Since then, the event has continued to grow each year. On Hawai`i Island, more than 12 hotels fundraise year-round for the Charity Walk, and about 30 non-profits play crucial roles in the execution and operation of the event.
“I like to call myself the cheerleader of the Charity Walk,” says Bambi Lau, human resources manager at Marriott Hotels, Hawai`i and HLTA’s coordinator, who has been running the event since 2017. “My role includes bringing together the hotels/travel industry partners, Hawai`i Island businesses and the non-profits; organizing the logistics of the event; and getting everyone excited about fundraising for the non-profits.”
On May 11, more than 1,000 people will walk, run or roller skate around Waikoloa Beach Drive for their specific causes in the 2024 Visitor Industry Charity Walk at Waikoloa Beach Resort. Participants encourage friends and family to “sponsor” their walk with cash donations. Funds raised will support everything from food banks and schools to Habitat for Humanity, Hawaii Island Humane Society, Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of Hawaii, just to name a few.
Since 1980, more than $5.7 million has been raised at Charity Walks on Hawai`i Island. Last year $350,000 was granted to non-profit organizations and this year the fundraising goal is $450,000.
For some organizations, these dollars fund a large portion of their operation, Lau explains.
All 501(c)3 non-profit organizations in the state of Hawai`i are eligible to apply for Visitor Industry Charity Walk grants. Grants are considered based on an organization’s community impact and may vary widely in scope and size.
The family-friendly event includes live entertainment, keiki activities, a silent auction and dozens of food booths at the Waikoloa Bowl, adjacent to Queens’ Marketplace. Waikoloa Land Company provides use of the resort roadway and common areas, and event activities within the Waikoloa Bowl at no cost.
The majority of the Charity Walk participants will be local, however most hotels put information in their lobbies the week prior to the event, encouraging guests to participate.
To support this worthy cause, each Hawaii Island Charity Walk participant is listed on the Hawai`i Charity Walk fundraising website, where donations can be made online at https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/hawaiiisland
Live entertainment and food booths fill the Waikoloa Bowl during the Charity Walk.
Participants can walk, run or roller skate in the fundraising event.
Hospice of Kona Foundation is one of many Charity Walk beneficiaries.
INK CRAFTSMANSHIP
Skin Factory Tattoo Opens at Queens’ Marketplace
The popularity of tattoos has risen steadily in the U.S. over the last few decades. Nearly 40 percent of Americans born in 1980 or later bear one or more tattoos on their bodies, ranging everywhere from small, often hidden symbolic insignias — like butterflies or angels — to remembrances of life’s milestones, such as the birth
of a child or the loss of a loved one. In Hawai`i, tattoos can be spotted on people of all ages and genders, often carrying cultural significance. Renowned tattoo artist Eddie Lin brings the art of ink craftsmanship to tourists and locals at his new store, Skin Factory Tattoo at Queens’ Marketplace. It marks a new chapter for Lin after losing his tattoo studio in Lahaina, Maui, during last August’s wildfire.
Lin, who opened his first store in 1995 in Las Vegas, says, “I’ve been tattooing for 31 years now and was an artist prior to that. I moved to Lahaina in 2017 and fell in love with the Island and the culture.” His clientele on the Big Island, especially tourists, often choose manta rays, turtles, waves, hibiscus or plumeria tattoos to memorialize their visits to Hawai`i. “I think it is such an honor, knowing that people are walking around with my permanent artwork on them,” Lin says.
He and his staff of five artists, including two who fly in from Maui weekly, work with clients to bring their vision to life, most often on their ankles, shoulders or forearms. Depending how detailed they are, it can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to create souvenir tattoos, while large-scale tattoos take multiple sessions.
“I’ve been most proud of my realism work, which captures loved ones or animals that have passed away that I can create memories on them, and they can look at and reflect back,” Lin adds.
Mother’s Day Specials
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Water’s Edge
Sunday, May 12 | 11 am – 2 pm
Enjoy a delicious Mother’s Day brunch overlooking the saltwater lagoon.
Kamueal Provision Company and Italian Nui
On Mother’s Day, dinner menus feature special recipes to honor mom, in addition to standard dinner options.
Call (808) 886-1234 extension 54 to reserve your table.
Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
Hawaii Calls Restaurant
Sunday, May 12 | 10 am – 2:30 pm
Executive Chef Jayson Kanekoa presents an exquisite Mother’s Day buffet menu featuring prime rib, succulent crab legs and an array of brunch favorites. Enjoy music by award-winning local musicians Kapena.