WAILUA — The atmosphere resembled a class reunion rather than a golf tournament, Saturday, at the Wailua Golf Course.
More than 170 golfers converged on the course even before the sun rose, their joviality joining the rays of the morning sun breaking through the heavy clouds blanketing the ocean.
“We sold out,” said Tom Shigemoto, one of the event leaders. “We actually had to add several teams. The turnout is really great because we have golfers from Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools participating, too. It’s not just for Kaua‘i High School.”
Proceeds from the second Kaua‘i High School Foundation golf tournament, chaired by Fred Morinaka, go towards scholarships as well as supporting the school, Shigemoto said.
Alan Tada, one of the tournament chairs, said players had an opportunity to win either a Toyota Tacoma pickup, or $10,000 in cash on a Par 3 hole, one on the front nine and the other on the back nine.
Three current members of the Red Raiders golf team, Reyn Morioka, Daezsa Tomas and Taylor Viquelia, had an opportunity to try for these and many other prizes while the remainder of the teams were tasked with monitoring Par 3 holes at the golf course.
The tournament was made possible through the efforts and support of four Platinum Sponsors including Shay Yanagi of Sky Painting, the Kaua‘i High School Class of ‘66 of which Shigemoto was a member of, Mike Matsumoto and Steve Kyono of SSFM International and KHS Class of 1971, and Robert Iwamoto Jr. of RNI-NV and KHS Class of 1956.
“We’re in charge of registration,” said Audrey Bonilla, KHS Class of 1979. “We just had our 50th reunion for all the high schools and even had Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. come holding a fan of President Obama. We’re just continuing the fun.”
The Kaua‘i High School Foundation, founded in November, 2008, is dedicated to serving the students of Kaua‘i’s first high school by promoting scholarship, providing financial support for educational programs and capital improvement projects and sponsoring worthy activities to advance the school. The Foundation is supported through donor programs such as the golf tournament and gifts from alumni, friends and corporate benefactors, its website states.
Visit www.kauaihighschoolfoundation.com for more information.
