LIHUE — As the Kauai Pop Warner Football League nears the end of its tackle football program, there are a lot of teams raising money for their respective post-seasons.
The Kekaha Titans PeeWee division squad already qualified for the National Pop Warner Super Bowl in early December in Orlando, Fla. The team will be representing more than Kauai, but the state of Hawaii as well as the Wescon Region when they take the field.
The Lihue Raiders Mitey Mite team is on the verge of qualifying to represent the state at the Pop Warner Regionals DIII in California. The Raiders will also have its PeeWee division team participating in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.
“We still have games to play,” said Mel Rapozo, a coach with the Raiders Mitey Mite team. “But we have the numbers to qualify as the DIII representative from Hawaii, and the Hanapepe Colts will concede to us because they won’t have any football teams traveling. They’re working to get the Colts cheer teams to Florida.”
Earlier on Sunday, eight KPWFL cheer squads earned eligibility to participate in the National Pop Warner Cheer and Dance competition that will take place between Dec. 7 through 14 in Orlando.
“We have a lot of teams traveling this year,” said Renee Kawakami, president of the Lihue Raiders Pop Warner Association. “This costs money. Right now, we’re looking at trying to raise at least $20,000 for each our two traveling teams. We estimate it to run about $1,200 per player — that’s a lot less than when we went to Florida.”
Other squads have started their fundraisers, with the Kekaha Titans washing cars at Kukui Grove Center Saturday. The Hanapepe Colts cheer were soliciting funds by distributing flying saucers during the recent Harvest Ag Festival in Waimea.
The Lihue Titans, in addition to washing cars Sunday, also split its teams with some of the players and parents fish-netting at Safeway in Hokulei Village.
The Lihue Raiders will have a fundraising breakfast from 6:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday at Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
A spaghetti dinner fundraiser is slated Nov. 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the convention hall.
The fundraising continues between five football games scheduled at Hanapepe Stadium starting at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
