Kaylynn Drake started Kekua Aloha Foundation after being impacted by suicide. That was four years ago when she was just a high school freshman, when her home town of Anahola saw a rash of youth and young-adult suicides.
Kaylynn Drake started Kekua Aloha Foundation after being impacted by suicide. That was four years ago when she was just a high school freshman, when her home town of Anahola saw a rash of youth and young-adult suicides.
Today, knocking on the door of graduation from high school, she spent part of her spring break putting together the Fourth annual Keiki Fun Day and Second Burn Out Suicide fire-knife competition that came together at Kapaa Beach Park.
This year, the presentation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention included a dance camp fundraiser at the All Saints’ Episcopal Church gym in Kapaa.
Mike Drake, Kaylynn’s dad, said the greatest gift a person can give is time — time to listen to struggles, time to spend with people to avoid getting into a struggle situation, and time to enjoy other people.
Special guests included Rex Tiumalu, a world champion fire-knife dancer from Orlando, Fla., and Angela Drake from South Dakota.
I was there and it was off the chain.. . . entertainment from keiki to adults and to top it off the Samoan Fire Knife competition was “lit”! Hope to attend Every Year!