A local nonprofit working to spruce up Harold H. Higashihara Park got a little boost in funding Thursday from Hawaii County.
Nonprofit Lions Club of Kona Community Foundation Inc. received $2,500 in District 8 contingency relief funds to support its efforts to revitalize the county park located off Mamalahoa Highway, north of Honalo, in North Kona.
The funds will be used to purchase equipment, materials and supplies for the nonprofit’s ongoing repair and maintenance of the park.
The nonprofit entered an agreement with Hawaii County to co-manage and maintain the park in June 2021, and since then has been working diligently to restore the park to its “glory days.”
The funds will be added to additional grants provided by the county to continue the effort, said Lions Club of Kona President Rodney McGee.
“We appreciate your continuing support of the park and our projects. All the work is to make this jewel — the jewel of the community — available to everyone, everyone who lives here as well as visitors,” said McGee in support of Resolution 27-23.
The resolution to allocate the District 8 contingency fundi9ng was introduced by District 8, North Kona, Councilman Holeka Inaba. It passed 8-0 with Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy excused.
“One of my friends came home from Honolulu this week, and was actually able to take his son who is 3 years old to this very park and it’s a park that we all grew up in as Kona kids. So, thank you for allowing that legacy to continue,” said Inaba.
Puna Councilman Matt Kanealii-Kleinfelder also thanked the nonprofit and its effort involving the community in supporting Harold H. Higashihara park.
“This is a beautiful park. There’s not too many parks like this left — the old, wooden-style parks that we all had as kids. There’s just not a lot of them it’s now all plastic and metal and I really like these parks,” he said before the vote.
The next Friends of Higashihara Park workday is planned Feb. 4 from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the park. Planned work includes waterproofing, weeding, raking gravel back into equipment fall zones and more. Installation of a toddler slide and chin-up bar may also be take place during the workday. For more information, see the Lions Club of Kona Community Foundation Inc.’s “Friends of Higashihara Park” Facebook page.
