While many of the golfers won some great prizes, the real winners of the event are Maui’s youth.  The popular visitor industry golf tournament celebrated 12^th years of giving back to Maui’s youth by raising over $11,000 in scholarship funds earmarked for high school students participating in the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT) program and students in Maui Community College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality & Tourism programs.

The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism program, administered by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, started in the 1990’s with a one-time donation from the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. The seed that was first planted at Lahainaluna High School soon expanded to include Maui High & Baldwin. Today, the AOHT program is in 6 public high schools statewide and includes over 440 students of which 280 are Maui students. The innovative program emphasizes academic excellence while preparing students for the “real world” by providing opportunities for internships, job shadowing, research, event planning, service projects, job site visits, university visits and travel. AOHT’s primary goal is to prepare students for post-secondary education and cultivate workforce development in one of the world’s largest service industries. The program plays a significant role in both the HTA Strategic Plan & Workforce Development Plan.

Scholarships will be awarded next Spring to AOHT and MCC Culinary and Hospitality & Tourism students.

The 2008 event was presented by Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. – a company dedicated to youth education and workforce development in the community.  “Our company supports educational opportunities for Maui County youth because they will take us into the future,” said Teri Freitas Gorman, Vice President/Corporate Communications. ”Sustainability means perpetuating our culture through our kāma‘āina.  Education is one way to ensure they will have the choice to raise their own families here.”

“The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association is committed to giving back to the community by providing for our future business leaders,” says Carol Reimann, executive director for the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association. “We are pleased to raise valuable scholarship funds during these difficult economic times. The students who benefit from our efforts are the future of Maui and it’s important that we provide opportunities to help maximize their potential - while also supporting workforce development.”