Our Community

About Kai Opua - Our Community

Although Kai 'Opua primarily supports the community by providing paddling opportunities for all ages through our competitive and recreational programs, we also provide some incredible community outreach and support as well. We believe in 'Service Above Self' and many of our members have this same philosophy and are ready and able to jump in when they can to help. 

Some of the projects within our community and ohana that you may not know we support are: 

  • We help to run the HiPal regatta for the keiki at the beginning of eachseason.  In 2022, we were approached by the Hawaii Community Policing Group to help them run a regatta for youth 18 and under. With the assistance of our neighbor Club, Kai 'Ethu, it has been a successful way to encourage youth to get involved in the paddling community. 
  • We manicure and haul truckloads of green waste off Huli'hee Palace grounds twice a year where we enjoy having our beautiful Christmas party.
  • In 2024, we helped support our fellow athletes by volunteering for Hearts and Trails run, Lava Kids, Ironman Triathlon, and Ultraman World Championships. 
  • We volunteer for the Kona Brew Festival and work to maintain a good relationship and collaborative partnership with them for donations to Queen’s Race and the Club in general.
  • In 2024, we donated $5000 towards Maui Paddling Clubs, who were destroyed or who's members had their homes destroyed.
  • We offer team building paddles for groups, educational paddling groups for keiki, and ash scatterings for immediate family members of the club. 
  • We donate all remaining garage sale items to Habitat and Salvation Army from our early spring Rummage Sales held at the Halau.
  • The second Tuesday of every month you will find some of our members doing the drive up hot meals and groceries donation at Kealakehe Elementary. Generally, over 350 hot meals and bags of groceries are provided to local families.  It is a wonderful no judgement zone that has been run by Artie Akeka for over 27 years.
  • To help to keep youth engaged and off the streets and on the water, we lend our canoes to HPA and to Kealakehe High School for their paddling season in the winter. We coach the youth, supply equipment for practices and set racecourses. Our whaler is provided for the official boat and work.
  • To further support our paddling community, we have donated money to Kawaihae Canoe Club when their Long-Distance race was flooded out and if another club has an emergency, we will help as needed. We have permanently loaned 2 of our older OC 6 Canoes to a small Club in Hilo that cannot afford canoes, and have opened up our boat rentals for Liliuokalani to other clubs, meaning that if traveling paddlers need a canoe, we send the request to Clubs that could use the money to rent their canoes to these paddlers.
  • We always keep a watchful eye on Kamakahonu beach, and clean it so it is attractive and safer for paddlers and visitors.