Mrs. Hawaii sharing aloha

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

It may seem ironic that Kanekapolei Sydney Fasi, married but childless, is so dedicated to children.

Mrs. Hawaii Kanekapolei Sydney Fernandez Fasi says she turns to husband David during the difficult times. They have been married for four years. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Mrs. America Pageant Although the pageant will be held Friday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the taping will be aired Oct. 17 on Pax Television.

Fernandez.

As in E.K.

Her father, the late Kane Fernandez, son of the legendary carnival presenter E.K. Fernandez, left a legacy of working with children, from serving as president and chief executive officer of the local amusement empire to being a long-time member of the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i's board of directors.

And now Fasi, the youngest of three, is continuing that family tradition — but in her own way.

As the reigning Mrs. Hawaii, she manages to find time between hula practice and pageant training to serve as a member on the organization's board of directors, which helps develop a strategic plan for the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i.

And should she win the national title Friday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Fasi has promised to make it her mission to create awareness about the nonprofit youth guidance organization and to find a way to get the younger generation involved in their community.

"If I won, how great would that be?" she said excitedly.

And how great would that be if Fasi, in her first-ever pageant, beats out the competition to be the second Mrs. Hawaii to win the title in two years?

"I'm really just trying to put my best foot forward," Fasi said. "By nature, I'm not a competitive person. But I'm doing all these things (such as working out and training for the pageant) so I mentally feel like I've done my best. My goal isn't really to win. It's to represent my state well, do my best and make sure the girls have fun."

	Kanekapolei Sydney Fernandez Fasi
•	Age: 31
•	Hometown: Downtown
•	Family: Married to David Fasi; no children
•	Position: Mrs. Hawaii 2001, professional model and certified public accountant
•	Occupation: Board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i
•	Education: Punahou School, 1988; University of Southern California, BS in accounting and business, 1993; University of Hawai'i-Manoa, MBA, 1999
•	Nickname: 'Syd'
•	Ethnic background: Hawaiian, American Indian, British, French, Chinese

A home crowd, in a familiar place, no jet lag.

But that home-field advantage is balanced by the responsibility of playing hostess to 50 other women, many who have never been to the Islands before.

She prepared a four-page welcome packet, complete with things to do and places to go for the contestants and their husbands and families. Every day she surprises them with something small: chocolate-covered macadamia nuts or a shell lei.

She suggests good restaurants, salons and make-up counters. And that has been the easy part.

"The only advantage (to the pageant being in Hawai'i) is, for me personally, more emotional," said Fasi, who was raised in Hawai'i Kai. "It's nice to know that if I had an emergency I can easily reach my family and friends."

Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon rocked the nation — and the impact was felt by pageant delegates, too. "Everyone was shocked and it put a gray cloud over all of us," Fasi said.

Delegates were especially concerned for Mrs. New York, who hails from upstate. Fasi said they felt more at ease when she announced she had contacted her entire family. Now the contestants are dealing with the possibility that their families won't be able to fly in for the pageant this week.

"That's been hard," Fasi said. "Not only are they away from their families for two weeks, but they were hoping they would join them here. We're trying to pull together and enjoy the experience. It's hard to do something we think is important and worthwhile when there are people stuck under concrete or need blood. It's hard to stay focused."

Nothing this week has been canceled so far; the show will go on.

"If we live in fear everyday and if we stop all the things we're doing, the terrorists will have succeeded even more," Fasi said.

Fasi said she finds her strength in her family. Her father, Kane, was a source of inspiration for her. After his death in January, the Fernandez family found ways to cope with the immense loss.

"In his death, I did learn something," Fasi said. "One person can make a tremendous difference, a huge impact on not just your community but on thousands of lives. I think sometimes we feel what difference can one person make. But he showed us that we can make a huge one."

Fernandez left his mark at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai'i, where he was a member on the board for more than 10 years.

"Kane was a great board member," said David Nakada, the organization's executive director. "He really loved kids. He was really active."

When he passed away, the club wanted someone to take his place. Fasi stepped forward, doing her best to fill some awfully big shoes.

"Like her dad, she's very involved and very active," Nakada said. "For someone on the board for less than a year, she's really jumped into it. And the family tradition continues with her being there.

"And if I took a poll of the kids," he added with a laugh, "they'd say she's much better to look at than her dad. No disrespect to her dad or anything."

During difficult times Fasi leans on the shoulders of her husband, David, son of longtime Honolulu mayor Frank Fasi. They've been married for four years, together for seven.

"The one thing that's great about David is he always has a very sound perspective," she said. "From helping me iron clothes to get me out the door to driving me all over town to just being there to listen when I'm confused or anxious about something. He's a great sounding board."

As she raved about him over the phone, she pulled out a care package he left her: One pound of her favorite See's Candies, two bags of pretzels, a bag of mini Snickers bars, a bunch of NutriGrain bars and a "really, really sweet note."

With a solid foundation rooted in family, Fasi hasn't let this competition change her perspective on life. If anything, she has grown from the experience.

"It's so important to relax and be yourself," she said. "People often say you're here to compete ... Yes, overall it's a competition. But you're here to be with 50 of your peers. It's an opportunity to learn about what they do everyday. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."