A news release shows eight grass-roots gatherings across O'ahu and one on Kaua'i will be held supporting Obama's presidential run.

The events range from a barbecue in East O'ahu to breakfast in Pearl City to a Punahou Class of '79 event that will be held simultaneously with a webcast from Iowa, where Obama is giving a speech at a campaign rally. He will give the speech at 10 a.m., Hawai'i time.

Brian Schatz, spokesman for the Hawai'i for Obama Campaign, calls the rallies a "new and exciting element of old-fashioned grass-roots politics. It's community-based, with use of Web technology, all driven by a very special candidate. We are breaking new ground, and there is no doubt that this is going to be a very different kind of campaign for the presidency. Localized gatherings like ours are taking place all across the country. You could say we are all going to Iowa."