Posted on: Friday, July 12, 2002

City beach fest gets donation

Advertiser Staff

This weekend's Sunset on the Beach festivities got a boost from Outrigger Enterprises in the form of a $10,000 donation.

The donation this week to the Waikiki Improvement Association, which also sponsors the beachfront movies, is partly to ensure that the event takes place while 7,000 members of the American Youth Soccer Organization are still in town for the 2002 AYSO National Games, which end Sunday at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer complex.

Outrigger president and CEO David Carey said "this is Outrigger's way of ensuring this wonderful tradition continues while Waikiki is host to thousands of visiting families who have brought so much vitality to our community at a time when we need it the most."

Carey said the hotel and resort company would be prepared to support this event "from time to time" in the future.

The popular program features movies on a 30-foot screen, live entertainment, and craft and food booths set up along Queen's Surf Beach on Saturday and Sunday nights. But some City Council members have criticized the administration for spending an undisclosed amount of money on the beach fests during tight economic times.