Street Bikers United Maui Chapter (SBU MC) helps collect and distribute Christmas toys in support of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. SBU, Maui County’s largest toy collector, accepts unwrapped toys and monetary donations for the nonprofit, and this year they did not let the pandemic slow them down. “Toys for Tots began in 1947,” said Jackie Foster, SBU MC secretary. “Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The 1947 campaign was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots and expanded it nationwide wherever a Marine Reserve Center was located. The initial objective remains the hallmark of the program today: bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children.”
Street Bikers United Hawaii (SBUH), a non-profit corporation, is on all islands. They are the state’s motorcyclists’ rights organization. Their agenda includes improving motorcycle safety through education, and motorist awareness. Today, SBUH continues to express motorcyclists’ interest and is the eyes, ears, and voice for the Hawaii motorcycle community.”
The SBU MC assists in local charitable events and community services throughout the year, as well as motorcycle safety training and rider awareness programs. “This 2020 Christmas, children are in extra need,” Foster noted. “Many families in Maui County are having a difficult time making ends meet. A portion of the money that we raised through car washes and generous donations went to purchasing bicycles and helmets for keiki of various ages, Tools 4 School, and our Covid Thanksgiving drive-thru meal event. Every year, our team drops off Toys for Tots Christmas donation boxes in Azeka shopping center and at various local businesses. Then, the toys collected go to the Salvation Army for their annual toy drive. We consider ourselves lucky to be part of such a wonderful community as Maui County. We have been blessed with charitable donations which have allowed us to be at least a small help during the Covid-19 outbreak. As always, we focus on our keiki and getting them what they may need.”
SBU MC helps make a child’s Christmas a little bit happier.
The Sacred Garden, an upcountry Maui treasure, is an extraordinarily peaceful experience. Operated by the nonprofit Divine Nature Alliance and free to the public, the Garden serves as a place of rejuvenation, education, and inspiration for the community. Upon entering, visitors find a two-level greenhouse environment with exquisite Hawai’ian flora and fauna, water lily ponds, sitting and picnic areas, plus two labyrinths for walking meditations. The unique greenhouse and gift shop, stocked full of locally made artwork, jewelry, books, healing stones, and special Maui gifts, offer numerous ideas for holiday shoppers.
“The Sacred Garden is really a service of aloha, said Maui author Eve Hogan, Sacred Garden founder and executive director. “Whether you delight in our heartwarming displays, marvel over our myriad plants, or if your visit is of a more personal nature—to meditate, pray, grieve or walk the labyrinths—you will leave the Sacred Garden more balanced and restored than when you entered.”
Hogan continued, “One of our missions is to provide a serene place in the beauty of raw nature where guests can close their eyes in silence and feel safe and secure. We feel strongly that alone time in nature heals, inspires, and rebalances. The Garden is a place where you can let down your guard and go inward, creating a world in which peace, respect, and compassion are the norm.”
The Sacred Garden labyrinths are integral to the service that the garden provides. As a walking path of peace and contemplation, the labyrinths provide a place for introspection, prayer, gaining new perspectives and releasing stress. “When one understands that we walk the labyrinth to learn about ourselves, it becomes a rich field of self-discovery,” Hogan explained. “The language of the labyrinth is metaphor, and thus everything you experience or notice on the labyrinth can shine light on something you are invited to look at in your life off the labyrinth.”
Sacred Garden horticulturist Catherine Vangstad said, “When I think of the Sacred Garden I think of a safe place, a sanctuary for the community. It brings me great joy to be part of something so special.”
The Sacred Garden supports people in making the decision to care for themselves, each other, and the planet we live on.
Eve Hogan, The Sacred Garden, Founder and Executive Director
Throughout the pandemic, the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center offered a once-a-month Ta-Ke Leadership Series. They asked outstanding leaders in the community to share their insights on current issues and how we can get past today’s obstacles as we begin to resume our daily lives after months of social distancing.
Invited speaker David Lassner, the 15th president of the University of Hawaii (UH), gave a virtual talk on his current UH agenda. Lassner, who leads the UH 10-campus system and the flagship research university at Manoa, is focused on helping more Hawaii residents earn college credentials, on developing an innovation sector to strengthen the state’s economy, and on creating high-quality jobs. Also, he is advancing UH’s commitments to sustainability and to becoming a model indigenous-serving university.
“My aim is to help take the state to a better place post-pandemic,” said Lassner. “Recently, the salaries of UH employees were reduced as we continue to prepare for the significant budget shortfall caused by COVID-19. The salary reductions follow other cost-saving measures across the system as UH invests in diversification of our revenue sources to enhance opportunities and growth.”
UH provides a transformational environment that brings learning and discovery to life, allowing students to embrace the practical applications of their chosen fields. Lassner wants to further develop economic sectors for a resilient and sustainable economy that includes computer science, engineering, astronomy, climate change, energy, green jobs, sustainable tourism, creative media, agri/aquaculture, and much more. He praised Maui Economic Development Board for decades of innovative services supporting Maui County start-ups, jobs, investments, and STEM programs, as well as for their Kama’aina Come Home Program.
Lassner concluded, “COVID showed us a silver lining that remote work is now possible, which is an extra push towards a technology economy for the state. Like much of the country over the last seven months, UH also emphasized online distance learning. Now, we need to work as a community to diversify and strengthen our economy. Our future must be more sustainable and equitable than the economy shattered by the pandemic. We need to build it together.”
I truly believe that UH is the most important institution to shape a more positive, sustainable and thriving future for our state.
Located on the slopes of Haleakala, the Kula Botanical Garden encompasses ten acres with thousands of distinctive Christmas trees in different sizes and varieties. The Garden also showcases colorful and unique plants, rock formations, a covered bridge, waterfalls, a wedding gazebo, koi pond, aviary, and a carved tiki exhibit. The gift shop features items made in Hawaii, home-grown coffee, and things of botanical interest.
Established in 1968 by Warren and the late Helen McCord as a display garden for Warren’s landscape architecture business, the Botanical Garden has evolved into a tourist destination that draws thousands of visitors every year. Currently, they are also one of the largest growers of Christmas trees on Maui. Each year, the McCord family plants, prunes, and harvests a new crop of Monterey Pine and other types of trees.
“Growing Christmas trees is an all-year adventure,” explained general manager Kevin McCord. “Planting is the easy part, then the real work begins. Christmas trees are considered to be one of the most labor-intensive of all farm crops. It takes monthly attention plus three to four years of tree farming to create that ‘best ever’ Christmas tree.”
McCord pointed out, “For those who cannot make it on December 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13 from 9am to 4pm, the trees will also be available at the gift shop for a limited time in December. Every year, extra-large and over-sized trees are available to local businesses and hotels. Additionally, our staff helps customers clean and load the tree onto their vehicle.”
Upcountry resident Janet Makua reflected, “Almost all the members of the Makua family have worked at the McCord’s annual Christmas tree sales since the early 1980s. It is a joy-filled experience to see the children’s eyes light up as we help families pick out their perfect tree, with a candy cane included.”
McCord concluded, “With the Christmas season comes the joy, the sharing, the warm memories of treasured family experiences. We like to think that our trees become the centerpiece of a family’s holiday tradition. Our fondest hope is that someone says, “This is the best tree ever!”
As a family owned and operated business we take great pride in sharing our garden with the Maui community and visitors to our island.
Thanksgiving, the kick-off to the holiday season, might look a little different this year because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, it still remains a time to give thanks for all things good and beautiful. Danelle Watson, director of Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, an upcountry Maui dance studio and performing company, and her students are grateful that the Academy was able to open its doors with COVID-19 guidelines, as well as online classes.
“Re-opening our doors has been so positive,” said Watson. “There is a sense of community back and I can see joy and appreciation in all the students and their families. Dancing has been a great help through the pandemic: we move our bodies as we tackle those difficult 2020 obstacles life threw at us. We have an amazing team of teachers working hard to bring the love of dance to so many. For our current students, whose training was disrupted by the onset of COVID-19, or for the adults who are looking for a way to release the stress of the day, we are also continuing virtual classes.”
Ballet and contemporary dancer Moorea Feliciano, 8, noted, “It is that time of year to reflect and give thanks. Dancers have a lot to be thankful for. We are able to do what we love and have a family that supports us. Dancing keeps our bodies happy and healthy, which is truly a great gift. We are constantly working together to reach new goals. When we work as a team in dance class we accomplish many achievements, and we gain confidence that we can do what we set our minds to. I pour my heart into dance. It is my passion and form of expression.”
Ballet dancer Kestrel Marshall, 11, added, “Sometimes dancing goals do not come easy and there is a lot of hard work that must happen first. I love this about dance because it translates to outside the classroom as well. Dancers have the confidence to set big goals and the perseverance to see them through. I love dancing and I am so thankful for Alexander Academy!”
Our talented hard-working students ‘wow’ us every day! We hope to produce a Christmas performance in a theater or outside venue to be shared virtually with the community.
Danelle Watson, Director, Alexander Academy of Performing Arts
