Posted on: Wednesday, March 6, 2002

Clubs target Duke's favorite sports

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Three hundred fifty members of O'ahu's five Boys and Girls Clubs will be treated to a unique outdoor experience Saturday by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, which is sponsoring a "sports and fitness day" at Campbell Estate's Lanikuho-nua Beach.

The half-day event, which organizers plan to turn into an annual experience, will introduce the children to three of Kahanamoku's favorite sports: volleyball, canoeing and surfing.

"It's timely, and the majority of our young people haven't been introduced to this type activity before," said David Nakada, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai'i.

Saturday's format will feature presentations and hands-on participation to small rotating groups for swimming, water polo, surfing, paddleboarding and volleyball. Involvement by the youngsters is the key to the success of the event, Nakada said.

The event is part of a developing partnership between the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai'i. In addition to staging Saturday's event, the foundation — through a gift from Muriel Flanders — is donating outdoor volleyball courts to the Boys and Girls Club in Nanakuli and a new clubhouse in 'Ewa.

"Our primary purpose is to give scholarships and grants for young people who support Duke's spirit and legacy," said the foundation's president, Mary Philpotts McGrath.

The first Boys and Girls Club in Hawai'i opened 25 years ago in McCully on the grounds of Washington Intermediate School. Clubs have since expanded to Nanakuli, Wai'anae, 'Ewa and Papakolea on O'ahu. Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island also have clubs. The club's mission is to help children ages 7-17 better their lives and achieve their goals in sports and education.