HANALEI — Spring cleaning kicked off early for one Kaua‘i resident whose “labor of love” can be seen in Hanalei.
Craig Wright, a voracious surfer and 18-year Kilauea resident, noticed the restrooms, also known around Hanalei Beach as “bathrooms,” were in need of some tender loving care.
“I love Hanalei so much I knew I had to do something,” Wright said.
That’s when Wright decided to spread some good news and set his plans into motion.
“The entire project was tough from the beginning,” Wright explained.
“The whole wall was peeling and it had to be scraped, I then sanded it all so the paint would stick.”
After a couple of days, other residents began to take notice and decided to join in the project.
“When I saw all the hard labor that Craig was putting in every day, I decided to help and buy more paint to brighten up the place — It’s great that he (Wright) has taken this upon himself to help brighten everyone’s day,” said Kilauea resident Jim Monroe.
Hanalei Beach lifeguard Joshua Lindstedt also seemed to enjoy the work. When asked about the wall, Lindstedt said, “I like it! It brings life to that side of the bathroom and it looks a lot better.”
Wright said he spent a total of $320 on paint and the restoration project took six weeks to complete. He also said the County of Kaua‘i did not participate in the project.
“I know the county has different priorities and does a great job maintaining the bathrooms and keeping them clean, but the ultimate goal here was to show a little ‘labor of love.’ It’s so amazing to see the tourists being pulled in and want to take a picture, we want the community to know that we are paying it forward.”
