Big money backs historic group

Today's the deadline if you want a seat at the Dec. 2 Historic Hawaii Foundation winter fund-raiser. Called "The First Lady of Waikiki -- Celebrating One Hundred Years of Hawaiian Hospitality," the subject honoree is the sensitive renovation of the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Resort by owners Kyo-Ya Company, Ltd.

For only $200 a seat, you can rub elbows with corpulent power brokers, big-shot developers, powerful architects and fading socialites musty with old money. Or buy a whole table, with prices ranging from $3,500 to $15,000! A glance at those already on board shows big money being slathered on HHF by the likes of Bank of Hawaii, Alexander & Baldwin, First Hawaiian and, of course, Kyo-Ya.

Goodness knows, HHF needs the dough. They've done some mighty fine work this year.

But there's a perception that HHF is being bought out by development interests, and fund-raisers with prices like these separate the organization even farther from its scrappy, grassroots origins.

Burl Burlingame

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