Kudos to John Ruiz and the Kekaha Landfill crew that hosted the Christmas Drive-Thru Wednesday. Billed as a giveaway of food, veggies and wrapped presents, the event was more of a reverse parade (that’s Dr. Addison Bulosan’s term) as the line of cars snaked along Kaumuali‘i Highway beyond eyesight toward Polihale.
Kudos to John Ruiz and the Kekaha Landfill crew that hosted the Christmas Drive-Thru Wednesday. Billed as a giveaway of food, veggies and wrapped presents, the event was more of a reverse parade (that’s Dr. Addison Bulosan’s term) as the line of cars snaked along Kaumuali‘i Highway beyond eyesight toward Polihale.
That kind of excitement brought out County Councilmember Billy DeCosta and Mayor Derek Kawakami as well as Hawai‘i Foodbank Kau‘i Branch’s Wes Perreira, Tish Ruiz, Chyenne Beach and Melissa Ragasa, who were not used to watching in amazement instead of working.
And the excitement wasn’t just limited to the Kekaha Landfill, as the West Kaua‘i Lions Club (thank you for the holiday face mask and lanyard so the mask can’t get lost) serenaded park-goers at Hofgaard Park (there was still time to check with Michelle Young and Casey Agena for the free books that are being provided by the Friends of the Waimea Public Library). The afternoon excitement overflowed into the Aunty Lilikoi store (no worries, they all have labels, Lynn Carvalho). where Makani Leoiki figured out the two-ounce jars make nice stocking-stuffers.
Wes and his crew continued the excitement Thursday with the employees’ food distribution at the Koloa Landing Resort (that fancy whale-watching hat goes well with the Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i Branch shirt), where Wes was surprised with the last-minute produce boxes donation from ‘Aina Ho‘okupu O Kilauea.
And, the giving keeps going.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer can be reached at
245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
