Seventeen years ago, WCC coun-selor Winston Kong and the KuPono Hawaiian club had an idea: hold a

Thanksgiving volleyball tournament to raise funds to buy turkeys for the needy.

They invited teams from other commu-nity college Hawaiian clubs for a friendly competition at Kaneohe District Park gym. And the turkeys ended up in a giant imu tended by club members and distributed to deserving families at such as the Wein-berg Village and spouse abuse shelters.

This year, the tournament was held on Nov. 5 at the Kaneohe District Park Gym. Nine teams competed, including what Kong calls “the world’s oldest volleyball team” from WCC.

“We need oxygen and Geritol, but we play with heart,” he said, chuckling. He said the players included WCC Vice Chan-cellor Lui Hokoana, counselor Gus Cobb-Adams and other volunteers.

But even though the competition is all in fun, this year there’s a new, additional cause that’s being taken very seriously.

“We want to use some of the funds to produce public service announcements to raise awareness about do-mestic violence,” Kong said. He said recent incidents involving abusive relationships have convinced him that the problem is more widespread than we think.

Kong said the Thanksgiving project keeps growing every year, but that “it brings great satisfaction in being able to ‘pay it forward’ to help others.”

The Royal Order of Kamehameha will be donating 60 turkeys for the imu and Hawaii Pacific University social work students will be contributing another 30.

KuPono club members will start preparing the imu near Hale A‘o two days before Thanksgiving.

The project has become a way for members to get in touch with their Hawaiian culture as well as share in the spirit of giving.

The turkeys will lay on a bed of hot lava rocks, covered with a layer of banana leaves, stalks and ti leaves. Then

they’ll be covered with wet burlap and waterproof tarps to seal in the steam until they’re cooked to mouth-watering

goodness.Once the imu is opened on Thanksgiving Day, Ku-

Pono members will deliver the warm birds to some of the homeless in Waimanalo as well as to families at the

Windward Spouse Abuse Shelter.Kong said he appreciates all the com-

munity support he receives, although he admits to feeling a little anxious every

year that things will go smoothly.“One night I dreamed that tur-

keys were chasing me,” he recalled. “Another time it rained so hard we worried about whether everything

had gotten soaked. “But it’s always turned out

okay.”

In the Spirit of Giving

Give Thanks ProjectThe Institute for Human Services (IHS) needs volunteers for food basket assembly and delivery for Thanksgiving Day.Where: IHS Women’s and Family Shelter, 546 Ka‘aahi St. Honolulu HI 96817Contact Leigh by Nov. 22 to sign up, 447-2842 or Volunteer@ihs-hawaii.ord

DADDS 6th Annual Turkey Shoot EventThe theme of this event is to bring the community together to provide a Thanksgiving meal to those who are homeless and less fortunate. There will be great food, live entertainment, educational and informational booth, and prize giveaways. Nov. 20, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Needs 100 volunteers)Several jobs available: set-up crew, cleaning crew, food line set-up, food serv-ers, kitchen, parkingContact: William K. Malina, President, (808) 861-0688

Help Feed Homeless Keiki for Thanksgiving Fundraiser Nov. 19, 3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. at Kapolei Shopping Center (Needs 20 volunteers)Nov. 20, 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Queen and Ward American Savings Bank (Needs 100 volunteers)Contact : Magin Patrick, Executive Director (808) 982-8128http://www.HelptheHomelessKeiki.orgThe fundraiser is to raise money to help feed families living in tents, cars and other substandard living. Volunteers will be collecting donations from the public while holding signs at the collection site.

Key Project Kalua Turkey ImuThanksgiving Week Nov. 25Contact 239-5777, frontdesk@keyproject.orghttp://www.keyproject.org/keyproject/Call to find out more information on the actual times volunteers are needed.

KuPono hits the court for a good cause

Holidays have a way of bringing out the best in us, and Thanksgiving is no exception. For many, this tradition

triggers the rumblings of bellies in hopes of succulent oven-roasted turkey and homemade pumpkin pie. But Thanks-giving means much more than that.

It’s a time to express gratitude for friends and family who have been there when you needed them most, the strang-ers who have inspired you to change, the moments that have made you smile and the small miracles that get you through the day.

A few ways to give back

Lending a helping hand

What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

KuPono Hawaiian Club preps an imu outside Hale A‘o for Thanksgiving.

— Ka ‘Ohana Staff

Are you thinking about a degree in social work, nursing, public health or gerontology and need field work experience? The Friendly Neigh-bors program through Waikiki Health Center may have what you’re

looking for.Friendly Neighbors’ goal is to help senior citizens live independently

through volunteer assistance. The types of services are endless. Depending on the elderly’s needs, the volunteer could assist in grocery shopping or light housekeeping. Some elderly simply need companionship. A letter in the mail or a phone call may be all they need. Hours are very flexible and can work around your schedule.

Volunteers play a vital role in the seniors’ fight to maintain their indepen-dence. Without assistance, seniors are faced with the possibility of living in care homes, which are more expensive and may offer less freedom.

Friendly Neighbors is open to all students. Community service is a great way to make your college application shine. Colleges are not only focused on how you’re doing in the classroom, but also what you’re doing outside of class. Volunteering tells a great deal about who you are, and that’s just as important as your GPA.

Kalina Pickren, volunteer coordinator, organizes and matches volunteers with the elderly. To find out more, call 926-8032, or email at FriendlyNeigh-bors@waikikihc.org.

— Allison Irving, Ka ‘Ohana Editor in Chief

Thanksgiving means a time of delicious food and spending time with the wonderful people in my family.

My folks love cooking, and more often than not we have some relatives or friends over to share our feast. Thanksgiving has given me an appreciation for the power that a warm, inviting meal has to bring people together. I’m truly thankful for my under-standing parents and my friends who always manage to be there for me.

— Alex Duffy

Thanksgiving is a complex time. My children are Native American (Crow Creek Sioux Tribe); I have Choctaw ancestry. We have to feel saddened, outraged, and hum-bled by the atrocities committed to native peoples in this nation. And yet, I am so thankful for the meeting of cultures that led to me meeting their Dad and creating them. — Ardis Eschenberg

I’m thankful for my family and es-pecially the freedom that I have in this country.

— Miriam Aju

I have a lot to be thankful for—I was told by a couple of doctors about 13 years ago that I needed a heart transplant and that without one I’d probably live a couple of years. Well, obviously, I’m still here, al-though I’m unable to work. I’m 63 years old and eligible for Social Security retirement.

I’m most thankful for being a second se-mester student at WCC. I get to learn and it gives me a purpose in life. No more feeling sorry for myself and moping around.

— Henry Park

I am thankful for turkey. I eat so much that I don’t have any trouble falling asleep after. Thanksgiving is a day of just being fat. Life is short. Be thankful not just on this day but every day.

— Kekoa K.

To me, Thanksgiving means that we all should be grateful for everything we have in our lives whether it be big or small.

— Taylor Mason I’m thankful for the simple things that I

take for granted sometimes—my health, fam-ily and friends.

— Herbert Milloria

Today I am so very thankful to be living my life clean and sober. I come from a family that had a lot of domestic violence, alcoholism and drug addiction. These were the coping skills I learned growing up.

When my daughter was 16 years old, I real-ized my life was out of control. She told me she loved me, but couldn’t take it any more. It was at that moment I realized I was teaching my daughter all the things I swore I would never do.

I took the necessary steps to get the help I needed to break that cycle. I am now five and a half years sober. Today, I am a role model for my daughter and have the opportunity to fol-low my dreams of seeking higher education.

Every day that I get out of bed, my feet hit the floor, and I don’t need a drink or drug to do so is the most beautiful day of my life!

— Dawn Merly

I am thankful for good health and for my family. I am especially thankful for my hard-working husband who not only provides for our family, but supports me as a full-time student.

— Eri Nakagawa

I’m thankful to share my life with those I love and trust the most. To be apprecia-tive of the old and new and thankful for life and the blessings the Father has given me. I am thankful for love, joy, and happiness. The Almighty has allowed me to go through obstacles in order to be grateful. I’m thankful for a new life and changes that are to come.

— Mark Valdez

I am thankful for my health, my fam-ily, and a roof over my head and food on the table. Thanksgiving helps me to stop and reflect on just how truly fortunate I am.

— Benjamin Heckman

I am thankful to be a citizen of the United States. I am also thankful that I am in col-lege, so I can further my education, major in sports medicine and have my dream job of fitness trainer. Also, my family is a major one—Without them, none of this could be possible.

— Aaron Chun

I am thankful for my daughter! I call her my beautiful blessing. She is my reason to push myself in everything that I do. I love her more than anything in the whole world and I am so grateful that God blessed me with my little girl.

— Candice C.

I am thankful for my parents. I have learned so much from my mother and father. I am thankful for my younger brother who has taught me patience. The world we maneuver through can be a scary, confusing place to a boy with a learning disability. His experiences and his stories have taught me to be more patient with people who are slower than my fiery, impatient self.

I am thankful for all the jobs I’ve ever worked. Each has allowed me to explore my own strengths, both physically and mentally. Each has allowed me to explore new topics of interest and has helped me gain confidence in my own abilities as a teacher.

I am thankful that I can recognize true riches. We were poor enough when I was young that material goods were never stressed as being important.

This has allowed me to better appreciate all the other riches that this world provides — from nature’s varied landscapes to simple cups of tea.

— Robyn Smith

In the United States, the meaning of Thanksgiving commemorates a historical moment in 1610

when the indigenous peoples in-cluded the Plymouth pilgrims in their harvest celebrations and helped them to survive.

The Europeans fleeing religious per-secution found liberty in the New World and expressed their gratitude in a liturgical celebration. Today, Thanksgiving is a secular holiday primarily observed with family get-togethers over a turkey feast.

For me, Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude. Henry Van Dyke said, “Gratitude is an inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”

Gratitude is a spirtual value so little cultivated in our world today. All around us are dehumanizing messages that humans are commodities to be exploited and taken advantage of, to be turned out of our homes, that we donʻt deserve medical care, that itʻs not our responsibilty to care and respect our seniors.

I believe that gratitude is the king of virtues, seeding all other virtues leading to full and enriched lives. Gratitude is the foundation of kind-ness, generosity, compassion, patience, gentleness, peace, joy and hope. It reminds us of our common bond, of our responsibilities to the common good and to be thankful for one another and for all the divine blessings in our lives.

— Flora Obayashi, Ka ‘Ohana Staff Reporter

PATRICK HASCALL

PETER TULLY OWEN

Gratitude as an attitude

Student Kayla McCumber with an Aloha Care Home resident.