KAPAA — The greatest gift a person can give is time, said Mike Drake Saturday before a crowd of several hundred people huddled in front of the county’s mobile stage at the Fourth annual Keiki Fun Day and Second Burn Out Suicide fire-knife competition.
“Thank you for your time,” said Drake, whose daughter Kaylynn Drake founded the Kekua Aloha Foundation that presented the suicide-awareness and prevention event at Kapaa Beach Park. “Our winning fire-knife competitors are from Oahu and did not register until this week when they got approval from grandma and mom. Thank you, too, to grandma and mom for the support.”
Those messages of support for people coping with suicidal feelings are important, Kaylynn Drake said.
“Even I had troubled times,” said Rex Tiumalu, a world champion fire-knife dancer and performer at Disney World from Orlando, who flew in to help judge the competition as well as provide an exhibition incorporating almost the same moves performed by the competitors. “Together, we can work through this. When I got the invitation to participate in this event, it was a no-brainer. Of course I can help.”
The opportunity provided the community with a means of coming together and having fun amidst the sea of inflatables, water features, crafters and informational booths from various community agencies dealing with suicide.
Armani Pena was milking the last bit of sunlight in the water features, enjoying the chance to play in the water before the veil of darkness saw the jungle of inflatables being dismantled to set the stage for the fire-knife performances.
“There were a lot of people during the day,” said Donna Olivas Kaohi of the county’s Office of Elderly Affairs and director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. “Jim Jung just left after doing duty with the Kauai Lifeguard Association and helping read to keiki from our Little Libraries program. He was tired.”
Marga Goosen was another volunteer who was wrapping up a day of volunteerism, noting that earlier in the day, she served as a site leader for the Ocean Count.
“At first, I wondered about that,” Goosen said. “They’re both on the same day, but oh well, it doesn’t happen like this all the time. It’s just for one day.”
Mary Lardizabal, director of the Kapaa Middle School Ukulele Band and Choir that was part of the day’s entertainment lineup, was another person doubling up on volunteer efforts.
“We started out at the Bum Run because we made a dog house we wanted to donate,” Lardizabal said during a stop at the Color Run benefiting Kauai Special Olympics at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. “We had to come here to give them some money and, now, we need to go to Kapaa for the Kaylynn — she was one of my first students in choir — event.”
Kaylynn Drake, getting a lot of help from her ohana, including Angela Drake, who flew in from South Dakota to help Mike Drake with microphone duty, was pulled into action as a judge along with Tiumalu and, following the competitive phase, was pressed into action with a fire knife on the grassy stage area, joining her brothers Emmsley Drake, a performer with the Smith’s Family Luau, and Michael Allan Drake of the Siva Crew.
When the flames finally succumbed to the night, Makoa Nielsen of Oahu was named the winner of the intermediate division that encompassed youth ages 6 through 12. Second-place honors went to Cyson Woodward, with Max Wolkon settling for third place.
Kekai Nielsen of Oahu topped the senior division that included youth 13 through 18.
“This is the first time I’ve been to Kauai,” Tiumalu said. “But I can tell you, the fire-knife community is really strong here. And with the help of the Siva Crew, Kaylynn and her family, we can ‘burn out suicide.’”
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
