Posted on: Friday, July 12, 2002

Hula show losing sponsor

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Waikiki tradition known until recently as the Kodak Hula Show will disapper for good at the end of August unless a new sponsor can be found for the 65-year-old attraction.

The Hogan Family Foundation yesterday announced it will no longer donate $500,000 a year to keep it going.

The foundation, created by the founders of Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, rescued the show three years ago when Kodak gave it up. It kept the Kodak name until last September, when it renamed it the Pleasant Hawaiian Hula Show.

Gary Hogan, son of Pleasant Hawaiian's founders Ed and Lynn Hogan, said the foundation wants to contribute the money instead to helping educate Hawai'i children.

"We told the dancers and other cast members on Tuesday, and now we are going to start to talk to other organizations to see if they want to take over the sponsorship," Hogan said.

The show almost folded up its ti-leaf skirts for good when Kodak quit in 1999, and the Hogans' foundation stepped in at the last minute, after even the farewell party had been held.

'Ukulele king Fred Kamaka Sr., whose auntie Louise Akeo Silva was in the Royal Hawaiian Girls Glee Club when it provided dancers for the first show in 1937, yesterday said Kodak undertook a national search for a new big-name sponsor when it decided to pull out, but couldn't find a successor until the Hogans came to the rescue.

"I don't like to speculate, but I don't think it can keep going without a big national or international sponsor," said Kamaka, who has helped administer the operation.

Kodak once was able to fill all 3,500 seats in the bleachers at the Waikiki Shell amphitheater in Kapi'olani Park, but attendance has been running about 700 to 800 in recent years, Kamaka said.

Hogan said the foundation would approach clothing company Hilo Hattie, which had expressed an interest before, and talk to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority about finding a new sponsor. Officials for Hilo Hattie could not be reached yesterday.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.