Scenes from Aqua’s Charity Walk Checkpoint

Since 1974, Hawaii’s visitor industry has gotten together to raise money for hundreds of local charities across the state. This year, the Visitor Industry Charity Walk raised $925,000.

Fundraising starts weeks before the actual walk, and Aqua’s hotels held car washes, staged a golf tournament, and sold yummy homemade grindz (including kalua pig with cabbage, chili mac, and lumpia – mmmmm).

On Oahu the walk starts at 7 am, with 8,000 participants gathered at Ala Moana Beach Park. Walkers wind 6 miles through Waikiki, getting a card stamped at each of over a dozen checkpoints. The checkpoints, sponsored mostly by area hotels, also give out water, juice, cookies, fruit, brownies, shave ice and other assorted goodies. Walkers end up back at Ala Moana Beach Park, and they present their completed stamp cards for a free lunch. It’s gladly needed after several hours in the hot Hawaii sun!

Aqua’s checkpoint was in front of Island Colony Hotel, located at the corner of Ala Wai and Seaside (and offers welcome shade after the long stretch down Ala Wai Boulevard!). Aqua provided water to walkers and runners and passersby enjoyed Hawaiian music and dancing.