HUGS (Help, Understanding & Group Support) is launching a year-long celebration in honor of its 25th anniversary.

A nonprofit, statewide organization, HUGS' mission is to provide support, compassion and aloha for families coping with the stresses of having a child suffering from a serious illness.

The anniversary celebration will begin with a charity event themed "Ho'okumu i ka hana le'a" (our canoe has launched) on May 18 in the Pacific Beach Hotel's Grand Ballroom.

The event, emceed by city prosecutor Peter Carlisle, will start at 6 p.m.

In addition to live entertainment and dinner, the fundraiser will feature an auction with items such as golf and lunch with Tadd Fujikawa, four club-level tickets to a Denver Broncos game and a trip for two to Las Vegas with tickets to the University of Hawai'i-University of Nevada, Las Vegas football game.

HUGS will honor founding board member and honorary trustee Rep. Barbara Marumoto; HUGS honorary trustee and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Oswald Stender; and HTH Corp. President Corine Hayashi, HUGS Volunteer of the Year 2006. The program will also recognize two "Super Teen" award winners for their volunteer work.

Over the past 25 years, HUGS has helped to support more than 1,400 family members for an average of three years each, providing a variety of different services for families in need. Additionally, hundreds of non-HUGS families have been served through the agency's two hospital outreach programs in three area hospitals.

Founded in 1982, HUGS was formed by a small group of volunteers from the Unity Church who recognized the many challenges and stresses that families with seriously ill children face. The volunteers dedicated themselves to establishing an agency that would provide support and compassion to help keep these families together.

HUGS is a community-supported agency that receives funding through Aloha United Way, fundraisers, grants and donations.

For a complete list of HUGS programs and more information visit www.hugslove.org.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.