3,500 enjoy free holiday feast
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward Writer
The biggest Thanksgiving table in the state was spread yesterday by an army of volunteers from Ko Olina Resort, Pearl Harbor's Navy unit CBU 4-13 and numerous Leeward O'ahu church organizations.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
The number of folks who showed up to dig in totaled more than 3,500: people who are homeless, poor or from single-parent families.
Ata Taimi of the Lighthouse Outreach Christian Center in Waipahu dances to a local band as she packs box lunches for the homeless. More than 400 meals were served at the church yesterday as part of the Ko Olina Resort Thanksgiving Outreach feast.
"And I can't even cook Thanksgiving dinner for one," quipped Robyn Barthelemy, present to help publicize the fourth annual event.
The mammoth Ko Olina Resort Thanksgiving Outreach feast was headed by Pele To'omata, supervisor of the resort's Aloha Team. With the help of association office manager Natasha Clarin, To'omata hatched the idea four years ago, and watched it grow into the state's largest Thanksgiving outreach program.
Volunteers prepared the food at Kapolei High School, and a fleet of vans whisked it to recipients at 18 sites.
To'omata said the banquet is scheduled a week before Thanksgiving so volunteers can spend the holiday with their families.
This year, he extended his reach by training communities elsewhere on O'ahu, Moloka'i, Maui, the Big Island, California and even New Zealand to organize their own programs.
"The whole thing just keeps getting bigger," he said.
From the start, To'omata has worked in conjunction with area churches, because they are familiar with those most in need in their communities. To pay for the program, To'omata looked to resort association president Jeff Stone, who told To'omata to organize the program and he and the Ko Olina Community Association would find the money.
Chefs from Kapolei High School and the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort, with the help of culinary students from Waipahu High School, spent the week preparing the fourth annual Ko Olina Resort Thanksgiving Outreach feast. The fare included:
Ken Williams, association general manager, said he never imagined it would become this colossal.
Thanksgiving menu for 3,500
"Natasha and Pele started this because they wanted to help the people on this side of the island," Williams said yesterday morning as swarms of volunteers moved steaming trays of turkey with trimmings into the cafeteria parking lot at Kapolei High School.
The total bill, around $15,000, is covered by fund-raising, Williams said. Much of it comes from resort employee contributions. The association pays for whatever isn't covered by donations.
"Contributions come all forms — money, food, UPS trucks," Williams said. "You'll see six of the shiniest brown trucks pull up any second — in fact, here they come right now. This is when everybody gets excited."
No sooner had the vehicles backed up to a pair of loading stations than distribution teams sprang into action loading them up. Half an hour later, the whole fleet had fanned out to churches and other sites from Wai'anae to Waipahu.
One of the liveliest destinations was the Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God on Leokane Street in Waipahu, where UPS truck No. 7 arrived just after 11 a.m. hauling 12 containers of turkey and ham, 40 pumpkin pies and enough stuffing, gravy, rice, corn and rolls to fill 400 stomachs.
"I can't wait to eat," said a delighted Mate Kaisa, who heard about the pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. "I've been waiting all morning. I'm hungry."
Kaisa and her two children, William, 7, and Veronica, 4, didn't have to wait long. "Let's eat!" someone announced over the loudspeaker 13 minutes before the scheduled noon start.
Within seconds, a line of 400 ticket-holders stretched across the parking lot. Lighthouse Outreach, like some other churches involved, had added its own effort to feed an even larger crowd.
"No one will go away hungry," said the Rev. Joe Hunkin, whose congregation whipped up an extra 150 chicken and rice plates to handle the overflow.
Hunkin said teams of church workers had gone door to door for weeks, handing out the 400 free meal tickets. But the church prepared for late arrivals.
Furthermore, Soul-Savers Ministries, which works with the Lighthouse, gave away 10 free turkeys, 100 pairs of new shoes and two bicycles yesterday.
The entire affair had a carnival atmosphere, with music, dancing, games and hundreds of giveaway prizes for the kids.
Tariu Tuivaiti, 9, polished off a whopping turkey meal and wasn't sure if there was room left for pumpkin pie.
"It was good," he said. "And I won a teddy bear, candies and one toy — a bulldozer."
Was he having a good time?
"Yeah!"
The smile said it all.
Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8038.
