Rotary clubs announce speakers
The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka will hear from Christine Shepard on “Coral Cove Imagery.” Meetings are from noon to 1 p.m. each Tuesday at Teshima’s Restaurant in Honalo. Info: Gary Rovelstad, RGRKonaMauka@gmail.com, 324-0318.
Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise will hold its holiday party at its regular weekly meeting. Meetings are from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. Wednesdays at Humpy’s Big Island Alehouse, second floor, Coconut Grove Marketplace. Info: Bev Fraser, 936-9965, rotarybev@gmail.com.
In Waimea, the Rotary Club of North Hawaii meets from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at Anna Ranch. Info: Erik Jacobson, 345-9033 or erik@sleepydog.com.
The Rotary Club of Kona will not meet in honor of the Christmas Eve holiday. Info: James Resor, jcresor@yahoo.com.
Women’s gathering planned for Jan. 23
Women from across the Big Island and beyond will gather for Hawaii’s second annual Christian Women’s Gathering to be held Jan. 23 at the Youth With A Mission campus in Kailua-Kona. Darlene Cunningham, co-founder of YWAM and University of the Nations, is the keynote speaker, along with worship leader, Rita Springer from Hurst, Texas.
The theme is “Receive, Rejoice, Release: Passing The Torch of Faith From Generation To Generation!” In addition to a message of Christian faith, hope, and love, a series of four breakout sessions include “Passing The Torch Of Faith Through: Worship, Biblical Teaching, Evangelism, and Outreach.”
The gathering is coordinated through a team of women representing approximately 15 island churches. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to YWAM’s Holo-Holo Ministries. Funds will also be earmarked for Music and Memory, a nonprofit which provides personalized music downloaded onto iPods for those suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Registration is $55 per person. If registering online, the deadline for this pricing is Jan. 7. Mail-in registrations must be postmarked by Dec. 23. The day-fee increases to $65 after these two cut-off dates. Registration at the door will be $75. The fee includes a full catered lunch.
The YWAM campus is located at 75-5851 Kuakini Highway.
Info/registration: www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-christian-womens-gathering-tickets-19085861325, Jen McGeehan, 747-2365 or jenmcgeehan1@gmail.com.
Operation Christmas Child drives successful
During Operation Christmas Child’s November National Collection Week in Kailua-Kona, residents contributed to the Big Island Operation Christmas Child Area Teams collection of 8,300 gift-filled shoe boxes for children in need. This record collection is an increase over last year’s collection of 5,000 gifts.
Together, the Hawaiian Islands sent more than 42,000 gift-filled shoe boxes to children this holiday season.
Origami galore on display at Imiloa
It takes a village to create an origami holiday tree — a village of folders from around the world. Imiloa Astronomy Center has unveiled a unique holiday tree in its atrium, decorated with nearly 100 paper models folded by origami artists from several continents. The theme of the installation is “Creatures of the Sea” with a 7.5-foot lighted tree serving as a backdrop for colorful paper schools of fish, sea mammals, seaweed, and even a surfer on surfboard riding a curling wave.
Folding was done across the mainland U.S., Europe, and South America, as well as in Hawaii, and artists included some of the leaders of the modern origami movement, including Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander of Origamido in Massachustts, and Sok Song of New York City.
The Kusudama star on the top of the tree was folded locally for Imiloa by Julien Lozi, senior optical scientist at Subaru Telescope, from a pattern designed by Ekaterina Lukasheva. Lozi’s work was displayed at Imiloa earlier this year as part of the “Epic Origami” exhibit organized by Waimea-based artist Bonnie Cherni.
Imiloa’s origami tree will be on display into January in the center’s atrium at 600 Imiloa Place in Hilo. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Info: www.imiloahawaii.org, 969-9703.
