TheBuzz
TheBuzz
The final audit is pending, but the Rotary Club of Kapolei estimates some 1,900 people -- mostly adults -- paid anywhere from $20 to $60 to attend last weekend's Taste at Kapolei fund-raiser. Taste at Kapolei
finds that selling out
is a good thingAttendance was referred to as sold out, pegged at more than 2,000, but around 100 of those were invited guests.
"Last year 1,300 people came so we grew by 600 people this year," said Kapolei Rotary Club President Van McCrea.
"We were nervous," he said, because of the economy and events around the World Trade Center, and people being out of jobs -- but it doesn't seem to have affected us at all." The club may cap next year's ticket sales at 2,500.
The way McCrea sees it, tickets sold out for a few key reasons. "The event was not really a fund-raiser for our Rotary -- the proceeds go to support education and scholarships for Leeward schools, so people are more willing to come," he said.Another attendee had other motivation to be there, tied into the Kapolei Rotary's focus on literacy and scholarships. "One young lady is a freshman at UH this year, and wouldn't be there without our help," McCrea said. "She actually came to the event and helped us."
"The second reason," he said, "people were ready for a break."
Break-needing folk learned about the event through advertising funded largely by corporate sponsors, and through the efforts of publicist Kimi Takazawa, president of Daisy Dog Inc., who arranged media appearances for McCrea.
Participating restaurants increased to 22 from 16 last year. Some were invited, others asked to be there, but there wasn't room for all interested eateries, McCrea said.
This year's event was staged at Ko Olina resort, and officials have expressed an interest in hosting the festivities next year as well.
"The venue was so good -- it's just a beautiful place," he said, "and as there have to be winners on both sides, the hotel was full." The JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa offered special rates and deals for Taste-goers, according to spokeswoman Glenda Chow, who also said the hotel was sold out.
Amid the grown-up food and festivities it was the mission of one business to keep the kids busy. It was a first for the Hawaii operation of Wendy's International Inc. Asia-Pacific Region Operations Manager Timothy Moulson praised Kapolei store general manager Lulani Iokepa, who he described as "the moving force behind the whole keiki area" at the event. Volunteers who supervised several activities in the secured Kid Zone were drafted by Iokepa and others from area schools where they serve as parent networking coordinators.
Not a single little one fell asleep.
"They were too excited, we had a lot of activities to keep them busy," Iokepa said.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com