Event brings keiki, community together ADVERTISING BY CHELSEA JENSEN WEST HAWAII TODAY cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com Hundreds of fishing poles and orange buckets decorated the Punaluu coastline Saturday as droves of children worked to catch the biggest fish. While 7-year-old Jadelynn Pua may
Event brings keiki, community together
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
Hundreds of fishing poles and orange buckets decorated the Punaluu coastline Saturday as droves of children worked to catch the biggest fish.
While 7-year-old Jadelynn Pua may have caught just two 6-inch reef fish during O Ka’u Kakou’s fourth annual Keiki Fishing Tournament at Punaluu Beach Park in Ka’u, she was nonetheless happy and excited to spend the day with her family and friends.
“I like to fish because it’s cool and it’s fun,” she said. “It’s exciting. I love it.”
For her mother, Annie Pua, a long-time Naalehu resident, the event is much-needed to keep the community together as Ka’u grows and moves into the future.
“It’s about bringing the kids and the community together,” she said. “There’s just a lot of stuff for the kids and families to learn here. I hope (O Ka’u Kakou) can keep this up for the kids.”
More than 300 children ages 1 to 14 took part in the free fishing tournament sponsored by nonprofit O Ka’u Kakou and various community members, businesses and organizations, said Wayne Kawachi, president of O Ka’u Kakou, which means “We are Ka’u.” Just 240 keiki took part in the tournament last year, he said.
Now in its fourth year, the catch-and-release fishing tournament provides a venue for families in the Ka’u community to come together for a day of fun without a large price tag attached, Kawachi said. Participants had the chance to claim a title for most or largest fish and each child took home a donated gift such as a soccer ball, Nerf toys and camping gear.
“It’s a community bonding thing to get everyone to participate,” he said. “We want to get more people in the community involved in Ka’u happenings.”
For 10-year-old Naalehu resident Otto Breithaupt getting the chance to fish with a simple pole and no reel at Punaluu is extra special because of the area’s beauty. Taking part in a friendly competition is also fun, he said before noting he’s been fishing since age 5.
“All of these people get the perfect place to spend time together and have fun today,” he said while wading in knee-deep water with his line cast in the water hoping for a fish to bite. “It’s awesome.”
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Here are the results from O Ka’u Kakou’s fourth annual Keiki Fishing Tournament held Saturday at Punaluu Beach Park in Ka’u.
Aholehole
Most
1. Aleayah Abellera
2. Alazeah Abellera
Largest
1. Alyssa Bivings
2. Logan Evangelista
Kupipi
Most
1. Thomson Leialoha
2. Sheldon Lee-Lovell
Largest
1. Kyriah James
2. Keanu Beddow
Hinalea
Most
1. Logan Evangelista
2. Melinda Eder
Largest
1. Kalino Judalena
2. Joe Buyuan
Poopaa
Most
1. Jamal Buyuan
2. Alysha Savella
Largest
1. Teani Grace-Keanu
2. Jysen Jara
Other
Most
1. Jayden See
2. Alexandra Dally
Largest
1. Emmett Enriques
2. Kerrylynn Domondon
