By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Two fundraisers at Aloha Tower Marketplace this week raised more than $230,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, organizers said yesterday.
Monday's "Chefs for Hope" raised more than $136,500, while Sunday's "Kokua for Katrina" concert and telethon raised nearly $100,000. Donations were continuing to come in for both events, organizers said.
The $150-a-head "Chefs for Hope" fundraiser featured food from more than two dozen Hawai'i chefs. More than 1,200 people attended.
"This was a wonderful example of how much aloha we have in Hawai'i for the people in the Gulf Coast," chef Chai Chaowasaree said in a written statement. Proceeds went to The Salvation Army Katrina Relief Fund.
The tally of Sunday's benefit concert was $95,213 yesterday with donations still coming in. All monies will go to the Hawai'i Chapter of the American Red Cross for use in Katrina relief.
In what is believed to be a first in local television programming, Hawai'i's four TV network affiliates plus PBS Hawaii, Oceanic Time Warner Cable (OC16), KIKU-TV and KFVE (K5) carried a live simulcast of the concert from 4 to 6 p.m. as part of a telethon. Lisa Kanoe Dowd, one of the organizers, said $68,591 was pledged to the phone bank, "Kokua for Katrina" Web site and fishbowl collections.
Ticket and food/beverage sales from the eight-hour concert at Kapono's raised $26,622.
The event was organized by Henry Kapono Ka'aihue, his wife Lezlee, Jon Brekke, Bill Meyer and Dowd.
"Thank you to the entertainers just for being so giving," said Kapono, who celebrated a birthday yesterday. "They put their hearts in it and it showed in the performance. Hopefully, we'll be able to generate more money."
Organizers hope to do that with a DVD of the concert, which is expected to be released within a month, Kapono said.
"On behalf of the organizers ... our broadcast partners, the entertainers, and most importantly on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, we wish to extend our sincere heartfelt mahalo to the people of Hawai'i whose generosity and spirit of aloha made this event such a wonderful success," Meyer said. "In the weeks to come, we look forward to announcing the availability of the show on DVD and for viewing on a pay-for-play basis so that we can continue to raise additional funds for the American Red Cross' Katrina Relief activities."
Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.