Kahana Canoe Club to host Naleieha Regatta

“Maui Food Bank donations will be taken at Kahana Canoe Club’s regatta,” said KCC member Ana Naleieha Viitala.
LAHAINA — On Saturday, June 19, Kahana Canoe Club will host the third regatta in the Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association’s seven-race schedule.
Slated at Hanakao‘o (Canoe) Beach in Lahaina, the Naleieha Regatta will showcase all of Maui’s finest paddlers — from keiki to kupuna.
Beginning with opening ceremonies at 7:30 a.m., the regatta will continue throughout the day and feature great food, a silent auction, raffle items and cool merchandise to browse while watching the exciting sprints between the participating clubs.
In 2010, Kahana Canoe Club is celebrating its 35th year. The club was created in 1975 by a group of families known as the Naleieha Hui. It was the dream of Isabella Naleieha, the matriarch of the family, that the group would pull together in the face of modern development, social upheaval and possible displacement. To aid in this endeavor, she decided to form a canoe club.
This year’s Regatta Committee head, Ana Naleieha Viitala, said she is “grateful for the opportunity to perpetuate her grandmother’s vision of ‘ohana, and share in the tradition of Hawaiian canoe culture — all the while having fun!”
This year, Kahana Canoe Club is inviting all the paddlers, visitors and spectators to bring nonperishable food items to donate to Maui Food Bank.
There will be two donation bins at the food tent. Help our Maui residents in these challenging times, and come on down and enjoy the action at Canoe Beach!