LIHU‘E — The more than 1,000 walkers are done with their 3-mile loop at the 45th annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk. The breakfasts are gone and the slippahs have been packed away for next year.
But the fundraising toward the $600,000 Kaua‘i goal continues with the online auction for more than two dozen items on the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association Charity Walk Kaua‘i website at hltakauai.org.
Bidding will be accepted until 10 p.m. on May 15.
As the walkers, nonprofit representatives and vendors wound down the walk on Saturday, the Walk Chair Ike Cockett of the Hilton Garden Inn announced that his corporate office came up with a late contribution of a National Football League pass package.
Next year’s walk chair Nicholas Gold of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay sweetened the pot by adding room stays at the 1 Hotel in the area where the game would be played, and Cockett pondered the possibility of air travel to the football game site.
The proposed package would appear for bidding online through the end of May, Cockett said.
A check on the website doesn’t show the package, yet. But there are more than 24 items available through May 15.
Top individual fundraiser honors belonged to Lillian Watarai, of the Hanalei Bay Resort, whose latest total surpassed $42,000. Watarai established a burger and hot dog stand for guests of the resort.
Top fundraising groups were still being calculated as the walkers lined up at the breakfast offerings by the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa and the Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort that were garbed in the colors of the Denver Broncos. Other breakfast stations offered everything from salads, fine pastries and acai bowls.
More than a thousand people representing the community, the more than 50 nonprofits that will benefit from funds generated by the walk, resorts, and others involved with the visitor industry turned out to enjoy the brisk morning walk around Lihu‘e town.
This year, a new category was added for runners who were able to leave a few minutes ahead of the walkers, some of whom wore “May the Fourth Be With You” apparel and costuming.
Gather Federal Credit Union became the latest title sponsor for the annual Slippah Drop that featured a five-night stay at Renaissance Las Vegas and round-trip tickets for two anywhere Alaska Airlines flies as the grand prize.
Premier Restoration is the title sponsor for the Charity Walk and the 4th annual Charity Walk Golf Tournament, which takes place on July 20 at the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course.
