33nd
ANNUAL VISITOR INDUSTRY CHARITY WALK RAISES $475,101 (NEW RECORD!!)
- Visitor Industry Gives Back to the Maui County
Community –
WAILUKU,
MAUI – The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association recently celebrated 33 years of
giving back to the community with its annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk on
Saturday, May 14. An impressive 2,100 walkers gathered at the War Memorial
Soccer Field for a fun morning of exercise, camaraderie, good food, great
prizes and fabulous entertainment. At the end of the day, an impressive total
of $475,101 was raised for to benefit Maui County charities. (Last year, the
event raised $357,000).
The bulk of the participants
included visitor industry workers, non-profit agencies and business
representatives. Many of these hard working walkers begin their fundraising
efforts months prior to the event by collecting individual pledges, hosting
bake sales, chili & stew cook-offs, benefit luaus, car washes, even dunking
booths and concerts.
Top individual fundraiser was Mitch
Mitchell who collected $33,800. The Grand Wailea took in top honors of the
property bringing in the most with $50,015.
Bank of Hawaii was the business who raised the most at $8,615. Winning
the award for non-profit raising the most was repeat-awardee Hale Makua who
collected $59,382. Property raising the
most per capita was Kahana Falls at $233 per employee.
“This year, we raised more funds
than any other year in the 33-year history of the Charity Walk on Maui! We are
extremely proud to host such a successful fundraising endeavor which brings
together the visitor industry and the Maui community in grand style. And most
importantly, all monies raised on Maui County, stays in Maui County,” said
Carol Reimann, Executive Director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.
“Our ability to provide for Maui’s non-profits – especially during tough
economic times - is a direct reflection of the integrity & philanthropic
conviction of the fine businesses in the visitor industry. And Maui has always
done it in grand style – our island continues to raise more funds per capital than
any other island in Hawaii.”
The Visitor
Industry Charity Walk is a statewide event that takes place on Maui, Molokai,
Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island. The Charity Walk is one of Hawaii’s largest
single-day fundraiser with thousands of walkers and typically raises over $1million
annually to benefit charity. Funds will continue to roll in throughout next
month and a final tally will be announced in August.
Mark your
calendar for next year’s Visitor Industry Charity Walk – May 12, 2012.
For
additional information, please contact the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association
at 244-8625 or info@mauihla.org .
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