NAWILIWILI — The Young Brothers Community Advisory Board closed its final round of awards distribution Thursday, awarding funds to six organizations and community projects at its Nawiliwili Port offices. They were recipients who were unable to be present during the
NAWILIWILI — The Young Brothers Community Advisory Board closed its final round of awards distribution Thursday, awarding funds to six organizations and community projects at its Nawiliwili Port offices.
They were recipients who were unable to be present during the annual awards presentation, which were done earlier in the year.
The funding covers a variety of projects ranging from playground renovations, therapy and the traditional Iako making for canoes.
“The art of ‘iako making will help enhance the knowledge and skills of our youth club members regarding the Hawaiian culture and tradition of building outrigger canoes,” said Greg Meyers of the Niumalu Canoe Club, recipient of a YB CAB award. “One of the most exciting aspects of this project is that, upon completion, our canoe club and our na opio will forever have the ability to manufacture and produce our own ‘iako for our canoes.”
Meyers is hopeful the project can become a profitable one, not only in its educational value, but by being able to offer ‘iako for sale to other canoe clubs as well.
“We are grateful for Young Brothers’ support in helping us fulfill our organization’s goal of teaching our youth about the education, history, culture and tradition of canoe paddling, including canoe usage, traversing the ocean and the history of place names in and around the Nawiliwili Harbor and the Hule‘ia River,” Meyers said.
Heather Phelps of Healing Horses, Kaua‘i, said 2013 is going to be a huge year for HHK, having recently moved to a new location in Wailua where it is in the process of developing a facility for Kaua‘i’s first therapeutic riding center for the community.
“The horse and human relationships can be very powerful,” Phelps says in a release. “Horses have the ability to tap into our souls and they allow us to engage a part of ourselves which we are sometimes unaware of. Through therapeutic riding, equine education and horse-related games and activities, an improved physical, mental, social and emotional well-being can be achieved.”
Phelps said HHK’s goal is to make the recreational activity of horseback riding and horsemanship fun, safe and accessible to everyone of all abilities.
“Funds from this Young Brothers grant are going toward the development and improvement of our keiki riding arena project,” Phelps said. “With these funds, we will be able to improve and enclose a portion of ground for a riding arena allowing independent participants to work within a safe and controlled environment.”
Teri Freitag, a freshman team teacher at Waimea High School, said the Young Brothers grant will enable the current and future freshmen students access to the Interactive Notebook study system, described as a way to provide students a venue to express and document their learning in a fun and engaging format, which has universal appeal.
Daniel Moore, the principal at the Kaua‘i Christian Academy, said the school situated in Kilauea will use its Young Brothers grant to help renovate the current playground with necessary repairs for the safety, health, motor skills and physical education for keiki.
“The playground is located near the school’s sustainable herb and vegetable garden, which also includes a small dryland lo‘i, or taro patch,” Moore said. “This project will focus on improving the youth activities as well as incorporating cultural enrichment being able to play and be near the environmentally-friendly school garden.”
Since the inception of the Young Brothers Community Advisory Boards for the counties of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i and Maui, Young Brothers has contributed more than $500,000 to more than 480 nonprofit organizations through the State of Hawai‘i through the YB Community Advisory grant program.
Visit www.htbyb.com for more information.
