Over a thousand miles of smiles.When their alarm clocks begin to sound on the morning of Saturday, May 17, Maui AIDS Foundation Executive Director Keith Wolter and Development Director Cathie Byrne will brew a pot of coffee, lace up their walking shoes and meet in Wailuku for the 30th Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk. And it is so much more than a walk in the park—each dollar raised during the event will support nonprofit organizations like the Maui AIDS Foundation.
The Visitor Industry Charity Walk is a statewide event that occurs simultaneously on the islands of O‘ahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kaua‘i each year on the third Saturday in May. In 2007, the statewide event raised more than $1 million to support 190 local nonprofit and charitable organizations across the state. On Maui, 1,500 walkers raised nearly $300,000 for the nonprofit organization of their choice. While walkers may choose any charitable organization to sponsor, event coordinators request that it be located on their “home island,” so that “all monies raised on the island, stay on that island.”
In 1974, The Hawai‘i Hotel & Lodging Association (HHLA) established a “Superwalk” as a fund-raising event to benefit a selected local charity. But in 1978, HHLA members voted to extend the reach of the event to other organizations, renaming it the Visitor Industry Charity Walk. The event is now one of the largest, single-day fundraising events in Hawai‘i and has generated more than $19 million for hundreds of nonprofit organizations.
The five-mile walk will begin and end at the War Memorial Soccer Field in Wailuku. All residents are invited to participate—walkers do not have to be a member of the HHLA, the visitor industry or a nonprofit to enjoy a morning of fun, food, entertainment—and a little exercise—to support Maui’s charities. Byrne and Wolter said they expect more than a dozen walkers to join them in raising funds for Maui AIDS Foundation.
“It’s a great event,” said Wolter. “It is a collaborative effort to make a difference. That’s really what this walk is all about.”
There will be at least six checkpoints set up along the route, with food, water, first aid and no shortage of enthusiasm and encouragement. Each checkpoint will be sponsored and operated by participating HHLA members and teams of volunteers from local businesses and organizations. At this year’s event, checkpoint sponsors include VIP Foodservice, McDonalds, Maui Electric Company, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Resort Quest and Meadow Gold Dairies. And at the finish line, walkers will be treated to lunch and live entertainment by KPOA radio’s “Morning Goddess” Alaka‘i Paleka, musical group Jack Stone & Friends and Kupanaha’s Jody Baran.
To participate, walkers must raise a minimum donation of $35, which may be submitted prior to the start of the event. For walkers under the age of 18, a minimum donation of $25 is required for participation in the event. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. and the walk begins promptly at 7 a.m. The Maui Police Department requests that all walkers must be on the course by 7:30 a.m., and due to safety concerns, late arrivals are not permitted to walk the course. This fundraising event is not one to be missed—spend a morning with some of Maui’s most generous hearts and “soles,” walk a few miles for a good cause, or show your support and cheer on your favorite “walk” star.
For more information, contact Maui Hotel & Lodging Association Representative Carol Reimann at 244-8625 or Hawai‘i Hotel & Lodging Association Representative Tina Yamaki at 923-0407.