WAILUKU — The Friends of Alan Arakawa announced that a birthday bash to celebrate Arakawa’s 58th birthday will be held on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku.  

The suggested donation for each ticket is $25; admission is free for children 12 and under. The event will include a buffet dinner, door prizes and entertainment.

“When I left office in January 2007, I didn’t think of ever running for office again,” said Arakawa, who served as Maui County mayor from 2002-06.

“For the past 32 months, I’ve had time to enjoy playing softball, tackle my wife’s ‘honey do’ list, and take care of my father-in-law,” Arakawa added. 

“Nevertheless, in light of many in the community encouraging me to return to office and run for mayor, I thought about it, spoke to my family and friends about this, and decided to run in 2010.

“In retrospect, I know I made some mistakes; however, at the time, based on information provided to me, in my heart I believed those were the best and right decisions. I’ve learned and had time to reflect on everything; I truly believe with the experience I gained between 2002 and 2006, I’m better prepared to build a community, one that we can be even more proud of if I am able to return to office in 2011,” Arakawa said.

For more information, or to obtain tickets, which will also be available at the door, call 871-4301.