Last night, I attended a mahalo reception that the Samaritan Counseling Center of Hawaii hosted for their supporters. The organization, which provides counseling at little to no cost to people in need, is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. In the time since their establishment, the Samaritan Counseling Center has helped more than 8,000 people improve their well-being and have facilitated nearly 74,000 hours of counseling and compassionate care.

Congratulations and mahalo to the Samaritan Counseling Center of Hawaii, their staff, and all of their supporters on 30 outstanding years of service.

​The Los Angeles Clippers were in Honolulu where they have held their preseason training camp for the past three years. There has been extensive coverage of the team's practice and play over the past week against the Houston Rockets and the Shanghai Sharks but I want to share with you some of the things that the Clippers have been doing off the court with Hawaii Tourism’s assistance.

A while back, the Clippers asked for our help in identifying a local public school that could benefit from a charitable donation from the organization. After hearing the Clippers' criteria, I immediately thought of Central Middle School and suggested them as an ideal fit. Last week Friday, I joined Central Middle School Principal Anne Marie Murphy and LA Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker as they unveiled a new technology and innovation hub at the Honolulu middle school. The team donated iPads, virtual reality headsets, and 3D printers that will surely help to prepare Central Middle School's students for the hi-tech job market of today.

If this wasn't enough, the Clippers also decided at the very last minute to rehabilitate the Central Middle School basketball courts. When the team arrived at the school to begin outfitting the tech hub, Zucker noticed the nearby court in disrepair. She and her team made sure that the work to patch pieces of the concrete and install new rims, backboards, and nets were done within 48 hours!

Check out this video that was posted on the Clippers' Facebook page. 

​On Saturday, The Clippers hosted a full day of skills clinics at Klum Gym. Kids ranging from ages 6-14 from around the state all got a chance to hone their skills under the watchful eyes of the Clippers' coaching staff. A special coaches clinic was also conducted. My deepest thanks to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and their President Chris Tatum for providing us with the funding necessary to invite a large contingent of neighbor island players to O'ahu to reap the benefits of the LA Clippers' skills clinics. HLTA was proud to make arrangements for players from Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui, Kaua'i, and Hawai'i Island to travel here to take part in this unique opportunity and made sure that all parts of O’ahu were represented at the clinic for the first time.

Last Tuesday, I was invited to the West Maui Community Plan Advisory Committee Meeting by Committee Chair Kai Nishiki and Maui County Council Chair Kelly King to speak on the topic of economic opportunity through innovation and collaboration via the visitor industry both on Maui and throughout the rest of the state. I deem these opportunities so important that, when having discussions centered around tourism management, visitor industry and local stakeholders MUST be at the table.

My presentation focused on eight points that are key to managing tourism that include: contributions through charitable initiatives; community engagement; affordable housing and the adoption and enforcement of local transient vacation rental laws; transportation; environment and natural resources; native Hawaiian culture; homelessness; and tourism strategic plans. 

In closing, I shared some of my experiences and the takeaways that I gleaned while enacting the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Initiative in the mid-1990's. These range from a willingness to consider all points of view to how to effectively use entrance fees to improve and maintain a specific natural resource. 

I also held a Q&A session, and a positive and meaningful discourse ensued that I enjoyed immensely. ​

Earlier this week, I was invited to visit the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Kukui Center in downtown Honolulu to tour their facilities and meet with some of the programs that are housed in the complex on North Kukui and ‘A‘ala streets. The Kukui Center is the brainchild of the Kukui Children’s Foundation and its founding purpose was to create a center for abused children. The foundation purchased the historic building on the edge of Chinatown and spent more than two years raising funds and renovating to better serve the children and families who would one day utilize the facility. I was in on the ground floor helping to support the opening of the Center when I was Mayor. 

It was such a pleasant surprise to learn that each of the eight organizations that call the Kukui Center home are Visitor Industry Charity Walk participants. These eight include: Family Promise of Hawai'i; Hale Kipa; Hawai'i Immigrant Justice Center; Hawai'i Literacy; Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies; Mediation Center of the Pacific; Leadership in Disabilities and Achievement of Hawai'i; and Kids Hurt Too Hawai'i.

Kids Hurt Too Hawai'i has an especially interesting program called HI Rising. Started in 2018, this program gives paid, work training experience to young adults who are either in the foster care system, about to age out of the foster care system, or a qualified Kids Hurt Too Hawai'i alumni. The participants staff and manage a retail location located in the Kukui Center. Over the course of the program, they are trained in a number of fields including: Computer Literacy; Introduction to Graphic Design; Fundamentals of Marketing; Retail and Personal Finances; Small Business Planning; Merchandising; Customer Service; and Mentoring and Life Skills Development. ​

This past April, monster trucks made their long-awaited return to the islands and fans of all ages flocked to Aloha Stadium to enjoy the show. It had been 23 years since the last time a monster truck rally was held on island and the event was a smash hit. It was another example of a sport that has a strong local fanbase and underscored the need to build a new stadium in order to accommodate world-class events like the Monster X Tour.

This week, I participated in a press conference at First Hawaiian Bank, the major sponsor, where it was announced that the Monster X Tour will be returning to O'ahu to host the Monster X Tour World Finals at Aloha Stadium on April 25th and May 2nd of 2020. The 2020 show is slated to include bull-riding, a freestyle motocross event, and a monster truck ride. Additionally, gear head fans will have multiple opportunities to meet the drivers and get on an actual monster truck. Tickets are already on sale on Ticketmaster or at the Aloha Stadium Box Office with prices starting at $28. ​

​Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk to a group of teenaged students who are active at the YMCA’s Kalihi Branch. As somebody who grew up just around the corner from this particular YMCA it was an invitation that I was all too happy to accept. The group and I talked story for about an hour covering everything from growing up in Kalihi to the effects that rail may have on their community. They were a group of bright and engaging young adults from the neighborhood of my youth and I had a great time meeting with them. Mahalo to the YMCA for having me and a special thank you to Justin Vele for contacting me and inviting me in to speak with the group.

​Let’s  have a strong showing from hoteliers and restaurateurs to show these students that their futures are bright within our industry. Please reserve your seat for this event as soon as possible. You may reserve your ticket at the link below. ​

​I also recently visited with the Hawai'i Chapter of The Compassionate Friends. This nonprofit provides friendship, solace, and hope to families who are grieving after the loss of a child. The organization was founded more than 40 years ago in England and has grown to include more than 600 chapters around the world.

Finally, I met with members of Aloha Medical Mission, a group that, over the past several years, has become a strong participant in Charity Walk. This volunteer-driven organization is based in Hawai'i and provides free health care to under-served populations around the state and beyond. Their services include everything from free dental clinics to surgical teams that are sent to developing countries around the Pacific. ​

​The Pacific Century Fellows (PCF) Program has announced its 17th cohort which includes 35 outstanding individuals who represent the best and brightest that Hawai‘i has to offer. This year’s class features a diverse group of men and women who come from a variety of backgrounds including financial institutions, healthcare, government, tourism, and the nonprofit sector, among others. Over the next nine months, Fellows will meet each month for an “education day” that will provide them with an in-depth look at a myriad of issues that affect Hawai‘i today. With these newfound perspectives, the Fellows will be encouraged to be more active citizens while applying what they have learned throughout the course of the program.
 
HLTA members and the visitor industry as a whole are well-represented in this year’s class. New Fellows from our membership include:

• Nicole Altman – Senior Counsel, Kamehameha Schools
• Tracy Camuso – Associate and Senior Planner, G70
• Andy Downes – Senior Vice President, Bank of Hawai‘i
• Michael Foumai – Composer & Instructor, University of Hawai‘i
• Del Mochizuki – Controller, UHA Health Insurance
• Drew Monahan – Vice President, First Hawai’ian Bank
• Lisa Nillos – Community Development Manager, Central Pacific Bank
• Agatha Viernes – Vice President, Bank of Hawai‘i

​Aloha sports fans! Since we are heavily involved in working with HTA on the community engagement aspect of these activities, I wanted to give you a quick update. 

We are just two days away from the return of the NFL to O‘ahu when the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys will meet in a preseason game at Aloha Stadium. Over the past week, the Rams have been busy hosting numerous engagement activities including visits to Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Schofield Barracks, a Fan Rally at the Rams’ pop-up location at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, and multiple football clinics for boys and girls of all ages. The Rams cheerleaders have also been busy this week putting on fitness workshops and a Yoga in the Park session at Ward Village. HLTA staff has been coordinating the one Rams practice that is open to the public on Friday by ensuring that our youth have an opportunity to see them at Cooke Field. It  has been overwhelmingly positive to see how the Rams have worked to connect with our community.

Click here to read Ferd Lewis' article about the upcoming game.

While the Rams-Cowboys game has received much fanfare and hype, I would also like to alert you to another professional sports organization that will soon be in Hawaii. The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), and its nonprofit youth programming arm, AVPFirst, have partnered with the HTA to offer 17 beach volleyball clinics. These are to be held from August 19 through September 22 on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i. We have been helping to schedule these clinics which will be free of charge, open to the public, and will be led by current AVP players, former Olympian and six-time AVP champion Kevin Wong, and current Outrigger Canoe Club coach, Lia Young Hunt among many more.
 
The clinics have been scheduled to coincide with the AVP Hawaii Open, the final event of the 2019 AVP season. The Open will run from September 20-22 on the Fort DeRussy beachfront. All matches will be free to watch and will offer fun for the whole family with live music, food and beverage options, and meet and greet opportunities. If you are interested in attending the one of the clinics, please visit www.bgch.com for more information

On Tuesday, I traveled to Kaua‘i to take part in the HLTA Kaua‘i Chapter’s Check Presentation Event where monies were awarded to organizations for their participation in the Kaua‘i Chapter’s Charity Walk. This year, the Garden Isle raised a record $451,051. Kaua‘i’s fundraising totals have grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years and they are closer than ever to surpassing O‘ahu which is their friendly overarching goal! 
​
Mahalo to HLTA Chapter Chair Paul Toner, the entire Kaua‘i Chapter Steering Committee, and committee co-chairs Chip Bahouth and Jacob Vogelgesang for their leadership throughout the planning and execution of this year’s Charity Walk. Special thanks are also due to Kaua’i Chapter Executive Director Morgan Lopez who has been doing a great job in all aspects of the Kaua'i HLTA operations . ​

Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association’s 20th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament was held yesterday, August 8, at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club in Ewa Beach. My sincere mahalo to all of the golfers who were able to attend our tournament and support our cause. None of this would be possible without your participation and support. 
This year’s tournament was sold out with 84 teams and 252 golfers taking part in the festivities. We were also privileged to have Ewa’s State Senator Kurt Fevella, a strong advocate for our industry, welcome us to his community. The success of our golf tournament each year is crucial as the funds raised yesterday will support various scholarships that we award on an annual basis. Scholarships like the R.W. “Bob” Holden Memorial Scholarship, the Clem Judd, Jr. Memorial Scholarship and the four Most Outstanding Citizen Scholars are awarded each year to deserving Hawaii students. Additionally, HLTA offers numerous scholarships through partnerships with organizations like the University of Hawaii Foundation for community college and culinary programs, the Pauahi Foundation and the Hawaii Tourism Authority. All of this is made possible by the generosity of our supporters.
I would also like to thank the HLTA Scholarship Golf Tournament Committee led by committee co-chairs John Hulihe‘e of Central Pacific Bank and Don Takaki of Hawktree International and the countless volunteers from the UH TIM School and HPU and Kaiser Permanente. Hulihe‘e, in particular, added some new elements to make this 20th annual tournament a special one. Also especially deserving of recognition are the major sponsors of this year’s tournament. Mahalo to Diamond Sponsor Kaiser Foundation HealthPlan, Inc. and Sapphire Sponsor Central Pacific Bank! 
Finally, I need to recognize and honor a special individual. HLTA bid a fond farewell to recently retired general manager of the Aston Waikiki Sunset Hotel, Doug Okada. Doug has been integral to our association, serving for 16 years on our Board of Directors, chairing the HLTA Membership Committee and has also been an active member of the HLTA Scholarship Golf Tournament Committee. (It is highly likely, that Doug has played in every HLTA golf tournament to date). I was pleased to present Doug with the Lifetime Legacy Kahi‘au Award for his many years of service to Oahu’s visitor industry and his endless support of HTLA. Mahalo Doug and we’ll see you at next year’s tournament!

During a special ceremony at our golf tournament, I had the pleasure of presenting the Clem Judd, Jr. Memorial Scholarship to an outstanding young student of Hawaiian ancestry pursuing a career in the hospitality field. Ileana Nii is a graduate of Waipahu High School and is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she is enrolled in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. Ileana was selected for this scholarship from among a pool of applicants based on the strength of her academic record and the high bar she has set for her future. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Ileana aspires to return to Hawaii to open and manage a hotel that exposes visitors to the authentic Hawaiian culture rather than a commercialized facsimile of it. Congratulations to Ileana for being selected as our 2019 Clem Judd Scholar. 
HLTA also recently awarded the R.W. “Bob” Holden Memorial Scholarship to three Hawaii residents who are pursuing degrees in hotel management. A special shout out to UH – West Oahu students Gellyn Flores and Jillian Paganiban, and Brigham Young University – Hawaii student Noah Magalei for being selected to receive this particular scholarship.