La'ie New Year's concert drops public admission fee
By Eloise Aguiar
Windward O'ahu Writer
LA'IE — An annual New Year's Day concert that has attracted more than 2,000 people in past years will be free this year in light of the terrorist attacks on the United States and Hawai'i's faltering economy.
The Concert of Stars, scheduled for Tuesday at the Brigham Young University-Hawai'i campus in La'ie, normally charges $5 for adults. The fee helps pay for the entertainers.
Concert of Stars
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When: 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday
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Where: Cannon Activities Center at the Brigham Young University-Hawai'i campus in La'ie
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Cost: Free
But Junior Ah You, events promoter, said he will waive the entry fee and has solicited more support from sponsors to pay for the concert.
"This year, due to all that is happening in the nation and to our economy here at home, the concert is free for everyone," said Ah You, a 1968 Kahuku High graduate and a Canadian football and Hawai'i sports hall of famer.
The concert, a drug- and alcohol-free family affair, began 12 years ago as the culmination of a fund-raiser in which Ah You and others raised $45,000 to purchase a minivan for Kahuku High School to be used to transport its teams to games, he said.
He has held one every year since.
Fred Bigbie, a La'ie resident, said he's not surprised that Ah You would offer the concert for free. It's the kind of thing he's known to do.
"He's for the community," Bigbie said. "He's in charge of all the basketball for the kids and touch football. Everybody loves Junior."
For two weeks La'ie has been host to the annual Christmas Bowl, a children's touch football tournament, Bigbie said. Ah You has been organizing it for years.
A number of sponsors are contributing to the concert, including the school, which is not charging for the arena.
Other sponsors are Marlene Realty, Hawai'i Reserves Inc., the Polynesian Cultural Center, the La'ie Community Association, Moa Mahe, the Turtle Bay Resort, the Turtle Bay Golf Links and La'ie Inn.
Providing a free concert "would be helpful to a lot of people," Kaluhiokalani said.
The entertainment will include A Touch of Gold, Augie T, Elona Irvine, Hyper Squad Dance Co., a group from New Guinea and others.
"I worked hard to get it free because everyone has been through some tough times with the economy, Sept. 11 and the layoffs," he said. "It would be a nice opportunity for everybody to bring their families and enjoy at no cost at all."
