Portuguese Cultural and Education Center seeks major donors

The Portuguese Cultural and Education Center plans to begin courting major donors in addition to seeking donations from the general public.

The 140th anniversary of the arrival of Hawaii’s first Portuguese immigrants happens in two years — and organizers hope to celebrate at the intersection of Ponahawai and Komohana streets.

That’s the location of land donated for the Center by Frank DeLuz III, a land manager whose great-grandfather came to Hawaii when the sugar industry needed plant managers and reached out to the Portuguese people.

Planners were pleased to emphasize Friday that many steps have been accomplished that make the center closer to reality:• A petition and letters demonstrating community support, especially from Hilo and Honoka‘a, have been supplied to the Legislature.

• Land has been donated and awaits construction.

• A 501(c)3 has been created.

• A $1 million grants-in-aid award has been confirmed by the state.• There are other, additional grants that may become available when other steps get accomplished.• Preliminary architectural plans are complete.• Initial cost estimates have been made.

Now, said Marlene Hapai, president of the Hawaii Island Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, planners will be seeking additional grants and donations to reach the estimated cost of $4.3 million.

“We’re looking at various way,” Hapai said. “Definitely, naming opportunities will be available for major donors who want to help.”Donors can also visit the Chamber’s website at http://hipcc.org/cultural-and-education-center/ to donate using Paypal or credit cards (click on “donate”).

Hapai said Portuguese Day in the Park, Feb. 12, 2017, will have special significance this year because it, too, will support construction of the center.

“Our goal is to have something by September, 2018 to commemorate the anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese,” Hapai said.

DeLuz said Portuguese people were the first to develop a close relationship with King Kamehameha.

“They used to come through here to go around the world,” he said.

Planners will be working toward release of the $1 million state grant and will meet with the county “to make sure that we have the green light, especially on land use and the building,” Hapai said.

The Cultural and Education Center will include the ability to have “family reunions” will people anywhere in the world with live video feeds on a large television screen. Photos of the ships that brought Portuguese people to the islands will be on display, along with log entries from ship captains and the surnames of passengers.

Ship manifests will be available so descendants can discover their family name, who came and where each ship came from. It’s been a long road from the initial idea for a center to the current status of being ready to put all the pieces together, finish fundraising and begin construction.

“I think people are ready. They’re ready to give — to get this thing going,” Hapai said.