Children’s charity gets
gift of 125 ukuleles

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the ukulele's arrival in Hawaii from Portugal, the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii is donating 125 new ukes to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu and will provide free lessons.

This is the first year for the guild's "Ukes for Kids" project, but the group hopes to make it an annual event, said Sam Au, vice president of the guild.

Au said the goal is to promote the ukulele among youth, not only as an instrument of enjoyment but as a way to teach them about its history.

Free lessons will be given at various Big Brothers Big Sisters sites throughout the state by instructors Terry Brown, Roy Sakuma and Kimo Hussey, who are donating their time, he said.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nonprofit organization that matches children with volunteer mentors to help them grow into responsible adults.

The first batch of 25 new instruments will be presented to some of the organization's children Nov. 19 during the annual Ukulele Exhibition and Conference at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Hotel.

A special 125th Anniversary Concert will be held Nov. 20, featuring world-class professional ukulele soloists. The public is invited to attend the ukulele workshops, mini concerts and exhibitions on the 19th as well as the next-day concert.

Karen Keawehawa'i will emcee the concert, which will feature Auntie Genoa Keawe and the Side Order Band, John King, Byron Yasui, James Hill, Benny Chong and Lyle Ritz.

Tickets are $15 for the concert, which may be purchased at the door or via the guild's Web site, www.ukuleleguild.org. Call 440-0646 or visit the Web site for more information.

Au said the popularity of the ukulele "is growing by leaps and bounds ... and the big makers, like Kamaka, can't keep up" with demand.

The 125 ukuleles were donated by various local businesses. Sponsors include Kamaka Hawaii, Hohner Music/Lanikai Ukulele's, RSI Roofing, Alii Flooring, Concrete Coring Company Hawaii, Mike Dasilva Ukulele's, Ukulele Supply of Hawaii, City Bank, Popeye's Chicken, Safety Systems/One Shot Supply, Island Air, Micro Finishing Systems, Pegasus Ukuleles and Guitars, Denis Gilbert and Donald Wickham of Ukulele Building Book, Innovative Constructors Hawaii, Darrel Chun and Miki Browne.

The Ukulele Guild has grown to 300 members worldwide since its inception in 2001.