Keeping Kona roots strong

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kay Ideue of Kona, left, and Lilly Muraoka, a 1942 Konawaena High School graduate, chat at the Kona Club's lu'au. Photos by Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"It's about going back to roots," said Ken Kawakami, a 1950 graduate of Konawaena High School who lives in Kane'ohe.

Last Sunday nearly 400 guests revisited these roots and gathered to keep their Big Island connection alive at the Kona Club of Honolulu 37th Annual Luau, which was held at the Disabled American Veteran's Hall at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

Kawakami, 70, has worked at the lu'au's registration table each year for about the past 15 years. "I get a chance to see all the people coming through," he said, then paused. "Ah, Kona people are terrific!"

It is this shared fondness for the people and community of Kona that has been drawing hundreds of guests over the years.

Kona Club Inc. was established in 1965 "for former Kona residents who live on O'ahu to have an opportunity to share in fellowship (and) to get together," said the club's president, Robert Iwane, a 1962 Konawaena graduate and resident of Pearl City.

The club, a nonprofit organization based in Honolulu, also supports Kona students interested in higher education. The annual lu'au is a fund-raising event for four-year college scholarships that are granted to two graduating seniors — one from Konawaena High School, the other from Kealakehe.

While raising scholarship money is an important objective for club members, many agree it isn't the main reason they attend the annual gatherings.

"My most important thing is to see old friends," said 94-year-old Ichiyo Osugi, a 1927 graduate of Konawaena. Osugi recalled memories of her days at Konawaena High.

"This girl here, she was a basketball player," Osugi said, pointing to a woman sitting at a nearby table.

The "girl" was Josephine Freitas, also 94 and also a 1927 graduate of Konawaena High, now living in Wai'anae.

"We used to play together," Osugi said with a big smile. Both were members of the Konawaena High girls' basketball team. Osugi was excited to see Freitas, who she hadn't seen for nearly 75 years.

Osugi, the oldest member of the club and resident of Kapahulu, was honored at the lu'au for her long public service and contributions to the Kona community.

Alvin Suezaki enjoys a laugh at the Kona Club of Honolulu's annual lu'au.

"They always say your closest friends are your high-school classmates," he said. "I see so many classmates over here, friends from back in high-school days."

Like Kawakami, Francis Sogi of Kahala, 78, said the lu'au was an opportunity for a mini high-school class reunion. Sitting at his table were fellow 1941 Konawaena graduates, including Taketo Kawabata and Benjamin Arcamo.

"I wanted to meet with my old friends, like Ben," said 78-year-old Kawabata, of Honolulu, pointing across the table. "He and I were together ever since we were this high," he said, putting his hands about 3 feet apart.

While most of the guests were club members, many others were family members or friends, there to lend support. Among them was a small group of Kona residents, including Alfreida Fujita, a member of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.

"We get to see many Kona people who we grew up with that (we) kind of lost track of," said 75-year-old Fujita. "When you get here, you see the familiar faces, and it's such a good feeling."

Midori Fujimoto moved to Kona from Hilo over 30 years ago and has been living there ever since. For the 1960 graduate of Konawaena, the event served a slightly different purpose.

"For me, I'm getting to meet people, because the people that are here mostly left Kona before I moved to Kona," Fujimoto said.

Socializing wasn't the only highlight of the lu'au.

Although Conrad Nishina, 48, of Mililani, is not formally part of the club, he is the son of longtime member Clifford Nishina, 90, of Palolo Valley, and has been attending the event for the past 10 years. The best part of the lu'au, Conrad Nishina said, is "the entertainment, the food and the (door) prizes."

Guests were treated to a traditional Hawaiian feast, including kalua pig, long rice, lomi salmon, limu poke, poi and haupia. Entertainment was provided by 'Ohana O Mele, a group of students from Kaimuki High School that performed Hawaiian songs, and hula, Tahitian and Tongan numbers.

Although many of those in attendance were past their 50's, there were also a lot of young families, such as the Eguchis of Kapolei.

Lane and Minnie Eguchi, both in their early 30s, were there with their five children, ages 6 to 12. The family, all dressed in matching blue and black aloha attire, were there as guests of Lane's mother and uncle, both members of the club.

The Eguchis have been attending the lu'au for the past four years, Lane Eguchi said, and he plans to continue making it an annual event for his young family. "It's just the idea that this is a tradition for the people from Kona, and we gotta keep this up," he said.