Coach's Midweek Comments 09-26-09

Aloha Everyone,

Hope you are all doing great and I pray our Lord Jesus is keeping you and your family safe and protected. Praise God!

"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles; They will run and not get tired; They will walk and and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31

I've received many warm and heart-felt messages this week regarding our "canoe swamping" incident this past Saturday. Thank you for all your messages of encouragement and acknowledging that we will need to rally together to raise funds to repair the 'Niuhi'.

I've also received wonderful ideas for fundraisers and many people willing to give cash donations for the repair. I'm still not sure what that entire amount will be yet but, we (meaning our Rec Ohana) should be able to give Charlie Thurston all of it.

At first, I was thinking the club would be willing to cover some of the repair cost, but then when I thought about it, they (the club) were not involved in the incident, thereby making it our responsibility. That would be the right thing to do.

Let's put aside some time for a little meeting this Saturday, to discuss the fundraising ideas. Here's my idea for the cash donations: let's say the estimate for the repair is $5000 - I would propose 200 people giving $25, or 100 people giving $50, or even 50 people giving $100. It would have to be well organized and monitored carefully but, I think people would respond. What do you think?

Regarding another matter, this Saturday, 9/29, 10:30am, our Rec Ohana will be hosting a special guest in a wheelchair, Jason Parkinson - who is visiting Oahu to get married. He is paralyzed from the neck down. One of his dreams was to ride and paddle in an outrigger canoe. Contacted through Pastor Rauna, we're teaming together with Coach Aka who volunteered to provide the adaptive paddling equipment to help Jason fulfill this dream.

I'll also be doing our "fried rice" on da beach breakfast.

God bless and please keep praying for the "Niuhi's" repair campaign.

Coach Kimo