WAIMEA — Rufino Tarona offered seedlings of organic tomato and eggplants Saturday at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital craft fair in Waimea. “He grew up tending the (sugar cane) fields all around this area,” said a caregiver from the KVMH.
WAIMEA — Rufino Tarona offered seedlings of organic tomato and eggplants Saturday at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital craft fair in Waimea.
“He grew up tending the (sugar cane) fields all around this area,” said a caregiver from the KVMH. “Both he and his wife, who recently passed, are residents of KVMH and the seedlings are what he does in whatever space he can find around the hospital.”
Cheryl Tennberg, the coordinator of the fair and an officer with the KVMH Foundation, the beneficiary of the craft fair, said she brought home several of the seedlings to try and ended up with tomatoes about four to six inches in diameter.
“They’re great,” she said. “And he starts them, right here under the eaves of the KVMH.”
The annual fundraiser for the KVMH Foundation brought together a variety of crafters, eager to share their creations with shoppers for the holiday season while helping the foundation raise funds to augment the hospital’s and West Kaua‘i Medical Center’s operations.
“We’ve gotten about 26 vendors for this year’s event,” Tennberg said. “It’s very successful. About half of the vendors are new to the fair this year.”
Annette Hashimoto of Kapa‘a was one of the new vendors, toying with the idea of attending the KVMH event or the Ace Hardware event taking place at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e.
“I’m glad I made the trip west,” Hashimoto, a vendor of hand-sewn items and crafts, said. “I had to leave at 6 a.m., but the people have been so welcoming and friendly and sales has been good. I’m glad I chose to participate in this event. It has been a good and worthwhile experience.”
Hashimoto said the timing of the craft fair could not have been better since her two daughters, Tayni and Bryn, both graduates of Kapa‘a High School, moved back home Friday night from Honolulu.
“They both were working part-time in Honolulu, but said it was getting expensive to live there,” Hashimoto said. “Now, they’re home and looking for jobs here. In the meantime, they can help me at the fairs.”
She said she plans to be at the Kapa‘a Beach Park Saturday when the Kaua‘i Veterans Council hosts the annual Veterans’ Day parade and event.
“It’s for the veterans’,” she said. “It might not be as busy as this one, but it’s to support the veterans.”
Following that, she said she plans on being at the Princeville fair on Nov. 17 and at the All Saints fair in Kapa‘a on Dec. 1.
Another first-timer was the Waimea High School Art Class, which offered a variety of student-made projects at reasonable prices.
Their table was filled when the fair started, said Marley Pereira and Melanie Sacro, both juniors at Waimea High School. They sold a lot and the proceeds go to benefit the Waimea art program where Wendy Russell is the instructor, according to Pereira and Sacro.
Both girls were offering their items next to Russell, a vendor of original aromatic cinammon-red dirt ornaments.
“I’m cutting down on my craft fair appearances this year,” Russell said. “After this event, I’ll only be at the Kaua‘i Handworks’ fair at the Elsie Wilcox Cafeteria on Nov. 24 (8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and the Kaua‘i Museum fair on Dec. 7.”
Kaimana Gandeza, a senior at Waimea High School, was also trying to help himself while helping the KVMH Foundation, vending an assortment of hand-made goods to try and raise funds for a Close Up trip to Washington, D.C. in early 2013.
“I’m a senior now,” Gandeza said. “I might not have an opportunity like this again in my life so I’m trying to see if everything can come together.”
Steve Kline, the coordinator of the successful KVMH fundraiser golf tournament last week, was busy trying to get photographs while learning more about Kintaro, a Japanese folk hero from a trio of ladies offering Japanese items.
Nozomi Nishiguchi, Tomeko Malone and Harumi Asai said they will be part of the Sheraton Kaua‘i craft fair Nov. 17.
“We’re still accepting applications from vendors,” said Debbie Yanagihara, another vendor whose daughter attends Waimea High School. “We’ll probably accept vendors through the week and people can call 742-4047. The only condition is items need to be Kaua‘i and made by the vendor.”
Aunty Donna Fuji, creator of original cookbooks to fund her sons’ college tuition, offered new items including a fold-up lap blanket for airline travel as well as a microwave pot holder and will be appearing at the St. Michael’s and All Angels Fair Nov. 17 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) as well as at the Kaua‘i Handworks event.
Karin Panui of Mailelani’s, coming off a successful Kaua‘i Made trade show, said she has a busy holiday schedule and will be having appearances every week until the Kaua‘i Grown/Kaua‘i Made event at the Kaua‘i Community College on Dec. 15.
Phyllis Andrade, a longtime crafter, said her holiday schedule follows everyone else’s with the exception of the Koloa School craft fair, which coincides with a pancake breakfast on Dec. 8 from 8 a.m. to noon.
The KVMH Charitable Foundation, established in 1998, has a charter to support the major needs of the hospital, including raising funds for equipment, patient care, staff programs and education.
Visit www.hhsc.org/kauai/KVMH-Brochure-Foundation-10-1118.pdf for more information or call 338-8311.
