Hawaii club hits it out of the park
by Dave Hoekstra
The Rotarian -- October 2009
Rotarians and other volunteers spent thousands of hours renovating Kailua-Kona's Higashihara Park and its Kamakana playground (top), which has already proved to be a big hit with local children (bottom).
T rade winds off the Pacific Ocean soothe the town of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. Every Thursday at noon, such tropical warmth greets the Rotary Club of Kona, which meets at the Royal Kona Resort, home to the iconic Don the Beachcomber restaurant.
The Rotarians do not partake in the legendary Mai Tai cocktail invented by Donn Beach. This group orders iced tea. The Kona club would rather think than drink.
The club has renovated the nearby Higashihara Park, including a complete restoration of its playground. Keeping fit is no small deal in Hawaii, whose native jocks include U.S. president and hoopster Barack Obama, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, golfer Michelle Wie, and Seattle Seahawks rookie center Max Unger.
Kailua-Kona is home to the Ford Ironman World Championship, and the Ironman Foundation matched the club’s $10,000 donation to launch the project. The triathlon combines a 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific with 112 miles of biking across the Big Island’s windy lava fields and a 26.2-mile marathon. You need a lot of parks to train for that.
“Our club is not about food, drink, or whatever,” says Cliff Kopp. “Our club is one of the most active clubs in the state, and we have a wonderful place to meet. When the wind blows the right way at Don’s, we are the envy of everyone.”
More than 20 participants in the program toiled alongside professionals to build fences and install playground equipment, donating 7,000 hours. The project cost $73,000, Kopp says, but “probably has a value of $300,000. And I don’t stretch numbers, by the way.”
The park boasts lush native plants chosen by horticulturists from the University of Hawaii: Polynesian arrowroot, hibiscus, and fragrant, low-spreading ’ohai, along with taro and sweet potatoes in a vegetable garden. Because of the Kona club’s work, kids of all ages can now play in paradise.