05.May.2009 Walk This Way — to A-Bay

Special Olympics West Hawaii is participating in the 31st annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, a statewide event that occurs simultaneously Saturday, May 16, on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

More than 9,500 walkers raised $1.12 million and helped 190 local charities, including SOWH, in 2008.

The Big Island event begins at 7:45 a.m. for runners and 8 a.m. for walkers at Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa.

Volunteers are needed to man the SOWH aid station located along the walking route. Want to help? Contact Dave Ross, SOWH area director, at 808-345-1344 or sowhdave@yahoo.com.

SOWH athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, friends and supporters are also encouraged to participate in the Charity Walk. The entry is $35 for adults and $25 for those under 18 years of age, which includes a morning of fun, food, entertainment and exercise. For more information about the Charity Walk, call Lynne Nagaoka, of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, at 808-886-8129 or Bambi Lau, of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, at 808-886-2884.

Ross has pledge sheets, with a goal of $35 per entrant, for those interested in running, walking or simply just donating.

“This is a fun event, a casual stroll followed by great food and tunes on the beach. It is also a huge fundraising event for SOWH,” he said. “Our monies raised in donations have no bearing on the size of the donation we receive. It is all about how many people we have turn in a form. So let’s do it.”