KALAHEO — Caroline Frederiksen had no idea Monday was National Family Day. Frederiksen and Ernie Kanekoa, co-owners of the Kalaheo Steak and Ribs, were hosting 60 people from Nana’s House in Waimea to a night of dinner and fun. “We
KALAHEO — Caroline Frederiksen had no idea Monday was National Family Day.
Frederiksen and Ernie Kanekoa, co-owners of the Kalaheo Steak and Ribs, were hosting 60 people from Nana’s House in Waimea to a night of dinner and fun.
“We have 30 adults and 30 children, which were selected by Nana’s House to come over, have dinner and enjoy children’s activities,” Frederiksen said while overseeing the preparation for the special night, which included Kanekoa being made up to be a Harley Dude by Krystal Libre who appeared to be enjoying her power with the make-up brushes.
Momi Machado of Nana’s House said the guests represented graduates from the Nana’s House parenting classes.
The evening for families just happened to coincide with Monday being announced as Family Day — a day to eat dinner with your children, states its website.
The Family Day event, announced earlier in the day on radio, was launched in 2001 by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
Family Day is a national movement that informs parents that the engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s children substance free, states the website.
These statements are backed by more than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which discovered the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.
Family Day started as a grassroots initiative and has grown to become a nationwide celebration with President Barrack Obama and all the state governors and more than 1,000 mayors and county executives supporting Family Day in 2011.
“America’s drug problem is not going to be solved in courtrooms or legislative hearing rooms by judges and politicians,” said Joseph Califano Jr., founder and chairman emeritus of CASAColumbia, on its website. “It will be solved in living rooms and dining rooms and across kitchen tables — by parents and families.”
Frederiksen said during the evening, the guests will dine from a buffet line with the downstairs of the Kalaheo eatery converted into a children’s activity center with konane games, coloring books and two clowns.
“This is the third year I’m doing this,” said Bart Kort who was being made up by his wife Jo.
“The first year, there were children who were afraid of clowns, but by the second year, a child came up and thanked me for helping him overcome his fear of clowns. You lose a few, but you also win some.”
Kalaheo Steak and Ribs is also currently in the midst of a campaign to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Walk where 10 percent of a diner’s dinner bill on Thursdays, with the exception of alcoholic beverages, are set aside to help with the fight against MS.
Visit www.casafamilyday.org for more information on Family Day. Visit www.kalaheosteakandribs.com for more information on Kalaheo Steak and Ribs.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
