HOLIDAY BY THE SEA

The second annual Holiday By The Sea was a tremendous success, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated and generous people, and our 375 attendees!

The Kona Choral Society Youth Chorus kicked the night off. Under the direction of Marinella Savarses and Bernaldo Evangelista, and accompanied by Gloria Juan, these budding singers performed some favorite holiday melodies.

Attendees dined on delicious offerings from the one-pass buffet from Executive Chef Paul Muranaka and his Don The Beachcomber culinary team. Starches, salads and four entrees items were offered including dessert. Generous donations from valued business partners made that spectacular menu possible.

Our Master of Ceremonies, Elias Callejo, welcomed Makanau Band to the stage, a true `ohana act of five family members sharing their passion for music. Playing a wide range of music including contemporary, funk and reggae, Makanau Band had the audience out of their seats and dancing!

Throughout the night, attendees perused the silent auction of crafts and certificates including activities, dining and hotel stays. Several attendees walked away with these coveted items for good prices!

The legendary John Cruz took the stage and serenaded the audience with his award winning original songs. Some lucky fans joined him on stage to sing his most recognizable song, "Island Style," and the talented Denise Peralta of Makanau Band did a couple duet numbers with Mr. Cruz.

Te `E`a O Te Turama lit the stage on fire, sharing the exciting fire dances of Samoa for a grand finale to close a spectacular night.

 

Mahalo for the tremendous outpour of support for our Big Island charities. The event raised a total of $8,317, surpassing last year's amount by $4,000! The total raised will be directly donated to the 38th annual Hawaii Visitor Industry Charity Walk.

For more information on the Charity Walk, please visit www.hawaiilodging.org