Free Keali`i Reichel concert benefits Island children

Free Keali'i Reichel concert benefits Island children | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Monday, December 20, 2010
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Posted on: Saturday, June 5, 2010
Free Keali'i Reichel concert benefits Island
children
Advertiser Staff
Any chance to see and hear singer and kumu hula Keali'i Reichel is a "be
there" situation. But to be able to see award-winning Reichel for free, and for
the sake of a children's charity, is a "gotta be there" situation.
Reichel, a 19-time Na Hoku Hano-hano award winner, will perform at "Sing 4
HUGS," a special Sunset on the Beach event set for 6:30 p.m. tonight in
Waikiki. HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support) is a local nonprofit
that serves Island children facing life-threatening illnesses and aids their
families with emotional and financial support. A family wishing to model the
lesson of "paying it forward" is financing the concert.
There will be souvenir shirts on sale and "calabash" sites where you can
Na Hoku winner Kea-li'i Reichel performs
tonight in Waikiki.
drop off HUGS donations. Supporters donating $25 will receive a limitededition event poster. For additional information, call 732-4846;
Sing 4 HUGS
online, www.hugslove.org or www.sing4hugs.com.
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Surf 4 Hugs Getting Bigger, So are the Smiles on the Kids and Families Faces
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Surf 4 Hugs Ge ing Bigger So are the Smiles on the Kids and Families Faces
Posted on August 18, 2010 by Real Time Aloha
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12/20/2010
Surf 4 Hugs Getting Bigger, So are the Smiles on the Kids and Families Faces
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~‘‘ ~ I or the last 7 years around this time, my friends Brett and Dee Thomas and their kids Torrey and
Leila whip up their Surf 4 Hugs day at the beach which benefit kids who have life threatening illnesses and their families. I had shot a video
for them a couple years back and was real excited for the turn-out then, but this years was just amazing.
~
There was a measurable increase in families participating in the Surf 4 Hugs this year at Kuhio Beach and even more volunteers than they
needed. Some of the volunteers were some of most recognizable Waikiki Beach Boys as well as members from HPD working together to
bring a lull thy of surf lessons and canoe rides to the kids and their families. Along with the dozens of volunteers that were participating, the
island famous Rainbow Drive Inn from Kapahulu and Coca Cola Hawaii supplied lunch and snacks for the families and the volunteers and
Koa Board Sports provided surfboards and water support.
For me, one of the brightest parts of my day was seeing some of the kids from a couple of years back looking great and loving the fact that
Surf 4 Hugs was still there to bring the Aloha. Pa other observation for me was how close some of these families are getting through their
journey to bring as much fun to their kids. There were at least a dozen kids in over-sized red rash guards building sand castles with moats as
if they were the little prince and princesses living inside them. Ah the days of unbridled imagination that could cure the world of its pains;
these kids owned their world.
As I watched all the volunteers return from the surf lessons, the smiles on the kids faces were unreal. As well, the smiles on the families
whose day-to-day challenges can tax every emotion, the day seemed to have given them a much deserved relaxing few hours at the beach.
At the end of Surf 4 Hugs, every kid got a trophy and the cameras were flickering as this very special time for everyone involved got
digitally stored.
These are very special kids with incredible parents that are supported by some of the most caring people I know. Notjust Brett, Dee, Layla
and Tory, but everyone from HUGS Organization and all the volunteers. Can hardly wait until next year Surf For Hugs just might to take
over HALF the beach the way it’s growing.
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Filed under: All About The Aloha Tagged: non profit, ha’saii surfing, surfing mentors Surf For Hugs. Sing For Hugs, supporting Families,
helping children make a wish
Surfrider S irit Sessions Ha’~aii. Mentorin Chan e with Surfing Lessons. Environmental A~~areness and Water Safety l-1a’~aii’s Other
Language Laid Back “Pidgin” English Rei ens Supreme
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12/21)1201(1
Format Dynamics :: CleanPrint :: http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20100928_Core... Page 1 of 2
Core Connections
A photo exhibit showcases the work of
siblings of ill children in HUGS
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 28, 2010
Lindsey Combs, 13, enjoys listening to music and
watching old episodes of "That '70s Show" with older
sister Alissa. It's the typical sort of thing sisters do.
But there is little else typical about the relationship
between Lindsey and 17-year-old Alissa, who has
cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder.
Seeing how people react to Alissa has been hardest for
Combs. "When we are in public, people will stare. I
know what's going through their mind, and it makes
me feel protective," she said. "Alissa makes me
appreciate the small things in life. She has inspired me
not to complain about unimportant issues."
HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support), a
nonprofit agency that supports families caring for a
seriously ill child, provides a comfortable setting for
Combs to hang out with her sister. "When we are at
HUGS, nobody stares, which is nice," she said.
Over the 14 years the Combses have been involved
with HUGS, the agency has become a second family to
them, according to Lindsey's mother, Catha.
"It's nice to have someone who truly understands the
turmoil that you are going through," she said.
"Everyone's medical story is different, but we all have a
common thread in our lives. It's nice to know that you
are not the only one. At HUGS you can be yourself and
just recover.
COURTESY PROJECTFOCUS HAWAII
Lindsey Combs, 13, participates in a project devoted to
the siblings of seriously ill children.
More Photos
"People really don't get it. They think of HUGS as a
really sad organization, but it's a really happy place,"
she said.
Families can take advantage of an array of HUGS
ADVERTISEMENT
http://www.staradvertiser.com/templates/fdcp?1292899261597
12/20/2010
Format Dynamics :: CleanPrint :: http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20100928_Core... Page 2 of 2
services, including a teen program, monthly family
dinners and respite opportunities for parents. "For
some it is one of the few times that many families can
have fun. There are no doctors, no hospitals," Combs
said.
This year, HUGS was the human services agency
chosen to participate in ProjectFocus Hawaii.
ProjectFocus was founded in 2005 by professional
children's photographers Laurie Breeden Callies and
Lisa Uesugi to enhance the lives of youngsters age 10
to 18 by conducting a 12-week photography
internship. During the program, participants are both
photographers and the subjects of photos themselves.
The effort culminates in a series of professionally
staged exhibits and a coffee table book containing the
group's images.
The HUGS youths were charged with photographing
their sick or disabled sibling. Each pair also wrote
short essays about their sibling for display alongside
their photos.
felt. "When I read his essay, I was in tears," she said. "I
felt like a horrible mom. My husband and I were doing
our best."
Since then the family has been working to make
Zachary feel more appreciated. "Zach is not good about
expressing himself. He keeps everything inside," she
said. "Now he's more confident, more talkative and
interacts better with his brother."
Zachary explained that he felt sad for his brother, but
it was hard to see him receiving all of the attention.
His anger has subsided, and he now just wants Josiah
to be healthy. Now that Josiah's tubes have been
removed and he is functioning more normally, Zachary
is feeling less resentful. "Now that he is better, we play
games, look for bugs and we want to work on a
treehouse," he said.
"I hope people won't think I'm a bad brother because
of this. But I don't always see Josiah the way other
people see him," Zachary said. "I see him as fun, kind,
talks too much, lazy and sometimes annoying. I still
love him so much."
"We decided to focus on the siblings of seriously ill
children," Callies said. "These kids are oftentimes the
ones who feel neglected and alone."
This year's theme, "Kindred Spirits," is a reflection of
the compassion and care the siblings share, she said.
"The exhibit gives them a chance to be recognized for
the time and support that they have invested to
enhance their sibling's life."
"Our main focus is inclusion of the whole family. ...
Everyone receives individual attention," said HUGS
coordinator Sherri Vallejo. "This is the first time that
we have branched out and focused on a specific
sibling. We try to increase the quality of life while they
are going through this situation."
ADVERTISEMENT
The ProjectFocus program has allowed 10-year-old
Zachary Rodriguez and his family an opportunity to d
raw closer. Zachary's 9-year-old brother, Josiah, was
diagnosed with cystic hygroma when he was 11
months old. Cystic hygroma is a mass that commonly
occurs in the head and neck area as a baby grows in
the womb. It often isn't diagnosed until the child is
older. For most of his life, Josiah had to breathe
through a tracheotomy opening in his neck and also
had a stomach-feeding tube.
Zachary shared his feelings during ProjectFocus
meetings and in his essay that he felt the family loved
Josiah more than him. The boys' mother, Lucy
Rodriguez, said she was unaware of how her older son
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12/20/2010