35th Visitor Industry Charity Walk May 11; Countdown Event, May 4

The theme for this year’s event is “Put Your Best Slippah Forward, a Tradition of Kokua”. Saturday, May 11,  Hawai’i Lodging and Tourism Association Kaua’i chapter will host the 35th Visitor Industry Charity Walk. The walk starts at 7 a.m. at the Historic County Building and takes walkers through Lihu`e on a 2.9 mile route. Join the group at 6:30 a.m. for coffee, warm up Zumba exercise and safety briefings. At the end of the walk, participants can enjoy entertainment, prize drawings and breakfast prepared by Resort Chefs from the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i, Starwood Hotels Kaua’i, Kaua’i Marriott/Marriott Waiohai and Kaua’i Beach Resort.

The Charity Walk is open to the public and everyone is welcome to participate. All money raised on Kaua’i will stay on Kaua’i. In 2012 the proceeds from the walk was able to provide funds to 40 Kaua’i non-profit organizations.

“We are very proud to be able to bring friends and family together every year for this fun event and give back to our Kaua’i community”, stated Stephanie Kaluahine Reid, 2013 Charity Walk Chairperson.

“Last year we were able to raise $151,000 and our goal this year is $175,000 which we are confident we can achieve. The more money we raise, the more Kaua’i non-profit organizations we will be able to support.”

The hospitality industry has already started their fundraising events supporting the Charity Walk. The Annual Charity Walk Bowling Tournament took place on April 20 at Lihu`e Lanes and all 28 lanes were sold out. A matinée `Ohana Bowl was also introduced this year with great success. The Countdown to Charity Walk Event will be held May 4 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Kukui Grove Center Stage. This event will feature entertainment, silent auction, walker recruitment and displays from several non-profit organizations that the Kaua’i Visitor Industry Charity Walk supports. On May 4 from 8 am to 10 am the Kaua`i Athletic Club will host a Zumba Fitness event at the Aston Aloha Beach Hotel with proceeds to benefit Charity Walk.

Forms are available at all four Ace Hardware stores on Kaua’i and at all Menehune Food Marts. For more information on the 2013 Hawai’i Lodging and Tourism Association Kaua’i Visitor Industry Charity Walk and related events, please call (808) 826-2286 or email stephanie.reid@stregis.com.

The Charity Walk is a statewide event that occurs on O`ahu, Hawai’i Island, Kaua’i, Maui and Moloka’i in May. In 2011, 10,950 walkers raised over $1,155,000 to help our local charities. In 1974 the Hawai’i Hotel Association sponsored a charitable “Superwalk” to benefit one major charitable organization. In 1978, the Hawai’i Hotel Association members voted to extend the reach of support offered by the Walk’s fund-raising capability. The Visitor Industry CHARITY WALK is the result of this decision. Over the years, the HLTA’s annual walk has grown to become one of the largest single day fundraising events by a non-profit organization in the State of Hawai’i. Since its inception in 1978, over $23 million has been raised and helped hundreds of local charities throughout the State.