About Town | 7-26-12

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Therapeutic riding program seeks volunteers

Therapeutic riding program seeks volunteers

Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii’s Kona program is seeking new volunteers to assist special needs riders.

Volunteers are needed to be horse leaders and sidewalkers as well as for administrative and barn chores. The program operates from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Horseplay Equestrian Center in Honalo.

A new volunteer orientation and training will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the equestrian center, which is located near Kona Coffee Villas.

THH-Kona is a nonprofit organization that offers therapeutic riding and horsemanship skills to children, youth, and adults with special needs.

The program is a member of Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International and has certified therapeutic riding instructors.

For more information, call Nancy Bloomfield at 937-7903.

Habitat for Humanity fundraiser at Denny’s

The public is invited to frequent Denny’s Restaurant in Kailua-Kona from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday and help three West Hawaii Rotary clubs raise needed funds for Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii’s 2012 Kona Blitz Build event.

The fundraiser is made possible through Project Compassion, a partnership between Denny’s Restaurant, Rotary Club in Kona and local charities to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations working in the community.

Denny’s will donate 20 percent of all food and drink sales, and 100 percent of all guest server tips toward the organization’s Blitz Build, which will construct five affordable family homes in just 10 days this September. Guest servers have yet to be announced.

Walmart holding
canned food drive

As part of Walmart’s commitment to fight hunger, the company has partnered with food banks across Hawaii to hold a “Christmas in July” canned food drive.

Supporters can drop off canned food donations through Sunday at any Hawaii Walmart. Holiday-themed collection bins are placed at the stores.

“It’s just about half way to Christmas and we figured it was a perfect time to remind our shoppers that hunger is a year-round issue in Hawaii and not just something our communities and neighbors deal with during the holidays,” said Brian Halsey, Walmart’s Hawaii market manager.

The Walmart Foundation’s Hawaii State Giving Council also recently awarded a $50,000 to The Food Basket to support the food bank’s “We Got Your Back” program that works to discreetly provide children at risk of hunger with adequate nourishment on weekends and school vacation using backpacks.

Kona Elks send U.S.
troops care packages

Over the past several years, members of the Kona Elks Lodge No. 2616 have organized care packages to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This year, the Elks have mailed 42 boxes filled with sunscreens, jams and jellies, and other specialty items to our military in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The total value of these items exceed $3,000.

By sending the care packages, it lets military personnel know that we, at home, think about them often and pray they will once again be with us to share in what they and the fallen have paid for.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a national organization whose membership over the past 130 years includes tens of millions of Americans motivated by deep feelings of reverence for family, nation, flag and community. The Kona Elks Veterans Committee participates in all events at the West Hawaii Veterans Cemeter and hosts meetings of the recently organized Veterans of Foreign Wars group.

For more information, call the lodge at 329-2616.

Ukulele workshop postponed to Tuesday

The beginners ukulele building workshop at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa has been postponed until Tuesday.

For more information, call Sam Rosen at 937-2347. To enroll, call 322-2262.