Three Kona community members and champions of the Kona Historical Society were recently honored for exemplifying service.
Three Kona community members and champions of the Kona Historical Society were recently honored for exemplifying service.
Jill Olson, Mikio “Miki” Izu and Barbara Nobriga were recognized for their contributions to the nonprofit and the community at large. Kona Historical Society’s biennial Palaka Party recognizes longtime members and volunteers who make positive impacts. The event also raises funds for the organization which collects, preserves and shares the history of the Kona districts.
This year’s honorees are respected elders who have long histories with the Kona Historical Society and Hawaii’s traditions. Part of the organization’s beginnings, they have guided and contributed to its development. Joy Holland, the society’s executive director, described the honorees as “true kupuna.”
“They have made a tradition of giving of themselves in all parts of their lives,” she said. “These honorees have guaranteed that those histories, of what Kona was and still is, are remembered.”
The honorees repeatedly recognized the many fellow volunteers and community members who helped make the society’s work possible.
“In a nonprofit, everybody always has to go the extra mile,” said Olson. “The credit goes out to all those people.”
This spirit of humble, selfless service defines the honorees, Holland said.
“They have given so much of themselves without expecting any recognition,” she said. “And all three of them are fabulous, fun, hilarious people to be around.”
Kona Historical Society began in 1976 with a group of concerned people who saw a need to preserve Kona’s historical places, stories and records. The society preserved and shared this history as Kona grew from a farming and ranching community to a popular tourist destination, said Olson.
“Recognizing the value and uniqueness of our history gives our community identity,” she said.
Olson was one of the society’s founding members. She began as the secretary and remained involved for 38 years. She recently retired as its executive director.
“(Olson) is known to be somebody who develops friendships that last for years,” Holland said. “She really is much beloved in the community because of the aloha that she shows.”
One of Olson’s favorite projects with the society was the Living History Program because it made history exciting for residents and visitors.
“It’s not your standard read-the-exhibit-on-the-wall kind of thing. In participating in the history, you learn about it,” she said.
The Kona Coffee Living History Farm is one part of the Living History Program. Izu, a lifelong Kona resident and coffee farmer, got involved with the society when it was developing the farm. Izu used his professional carpentry skills and firsthand experience growing up on a coffee farm to restore the farm’s house and pump shed and advise the farm’s development. Izu visits the site regularly to share his knowledge and memories with visitors.
“I really enjoy doing all the work, and talking to people who want to know what happened way back,” Izu said. “It’s an honor to be honored for what you enjoy doing.”
Holland said Izu has also volunteered extensively in the community, especially as an advocate for youth with disabilities. Besides being a longtime adviser for the Kona Historical Society, he has also volunteered as a youth baseball coach, high school umpire and Boy Scout leader.
The society also honored Nobriga, a fourth-generation rancher, as a major advocate for Hawaii’s ranching history and culture. Nobriga was part of the original board of directors, and remains indirectly involved in the organization to this day. She is also an advocate for Hulihee Palace and the Daughters of Hawaii. She is a pa‘u rider and directs the traditional lei-making and pa‘u riding in many parades. In 2004, she was inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame. Holland described Nobriga as a “hanai mother” for many young people in the Kona community.
“Youth have to know their family roots and their culture,” Nobriga said. “If they should go away, they should have that ingrained in their minds, of where they came from. If you don’t preserve it, you lose it.”
To learn more about the society, visit konahistorical.org or call 323-3222.