chinatown chase 2009

the economy's continuing decline is certainly not making it easy on non-profits who rely on the kindness of others to fund their bottom line. the hawaii theatre has come up with a novel fundraiser (ticket sales, surprisingly, only account for 40% of operating costs) with its second annual chinatown chase.

teams of 10 race around the historic district deciphering clues in hopes of crossing the finish line first culminating in a celebration complete with dancing in the streets, eats, silent auction, and an after-party (if you pony up to be a kung fu fighter or barefoot buddha).

the price tag ranges from $150 to $500 per person but once you tally up the cost of a night on the town with friends combined with the warm fuzzy feeling of doing good, well, you just may consider it a worthwhile expense.

registration can be done online or in person (download entry forms on the website).

• race date: sat, feb 28th - 5:30p
• where: 1130 bethel street

p.s. take a peek at last year's race festivities here.

night market & threads of hope

emails are both a blessing and a curse . . . the 24/7 coconut wire may be an instant way to keep tabs on what is happening in the world but the hundreds of messages piling up in my inbox can seem overwhelming at times. anyhoo, i suspect the delete button will be getting lots of love while i click through my mail over the the next few days so remember to check in while i play catch up and post any newsworthy notes of interest that catch my fancy.

first up on the list is the kick off of hifi & hawaii red magazine's night market at aloha tower tonight. skip rush hour and enjoy wine tasting and live jazz while scooping up the latest looks from martinique, meesah, soozou & tobyp in the pop-up boutique and island grown produce at the farmers market.

• when: tonight, oct 22nd - 5p to 8p
• where: waterfront at aloha tower
• fyi: validated parking available
• rsvp: info [at] hawaiiredmagazine [dot] com

tomorrow night, hifi returns to aloha tower for the theads of hope gala which doubles as a fundraiser to find a permanent home for the uh costume collection (currently 20,000 garments and counting). you'll be the first to preview the art of fashion exhibit filled with multimedia entries from local designers and artists while nibbling pupus, sipping cocktails mixed by ocean vodka, and bidding on the silent art auction.

• when: thu, oct 23rd - 6p to 10p
• where: aloha tower marketplace, second floor
• tix: $10

easy rider

electra huli huli cruiser

with more people opting for two wheels in face of higher prices at the pump and as a way to reduce their carbon footprint, you may have flirted with the idea of digging out that rusty old bike and taking it out for a spin. problem is it may be too small or, worse, too broken to get you on the road. enter the kalihi valley instructional bike exchange program (k-vibe) which will get you back in the saddle in no time.

a little kokua &/or sweat equity is all that's required. simply trade in your (or your keiki's) old bicycle for new wheels or help fix up bikes donated to the co-op and pay it forward. no bike and no time? no worries, a donation (which goes to stock bike parts and tools for the program) will get you rehabbed wheels so you can pedal along with one of the community bike rides organized by k-vibe.

click over to the official k-vibe blog to stay in the loop.

p.s. new bike owners are also welcome to stop by for a lesson in bike maintenance 101.

{via knittybird}

green is the new black

tanna from the wedding café recently sent along word of a benefit they are hosting for kanu hawaii next month. it's also the coming out party for divas doing good which is twc's way of giving back to the community and inspiring customers to make small lifestyle changes that really do make a difference (cheers to twc for switching over to styrophobia's biodegradable takeout containers!).

the price of admission includes a fashion show, swag bags, auctions, pupus, music by ben & maila, a dj spinning tunes, plus a chance to win r/t tickets on hawaiian airlines.

styles from alliway, allison izu, fashionista's market, jessica's traveling boutique & split obsession will be walking the runway, and the highest bidder during the silent auction will go home with goodies from pualani, pearl ultra lounge, sheraton & more.

tickets are on sale at the wedding cafe's manoa & ward outposts.

• when: tue, aug 18th - 5:30p
• where: the waterfront, aloha tower
• tix: $25 advance / $30 at the door
• fyi: buy 5 tix get 1 free

p.s. the wedding café 'ohana recently started a blog so click over and take a peek.

kanu hawaii

with the eco chic wahine event set for tonight at ward warehouse (fyi - still time to rsvp), it seems like the perfect time to introduce you to kanu hawaii, a social networking group for kama'aina committed to returning the islands to a more sustainable way of life.

whether you are a lifelong treehugger or new to greening your world, you probably share the same concerns as the founding members of kanu who were alarmed by the growing disconnection from the island values that were the foundation for generations of islanders. and so, a local social movement was born with the belief that individual actions truly can make a difference.

members are encouraged to make commitments to change their ways via simple steps like "i will recycle my batteries" to "i will take my next vacation in hawaii". kanu then measures the impact of all these little changes to illustrate how together we can make the islands and the world a better place for everyone.

and, while you can't disown your family for refusing to recycle ("too humbug" is the refrain given by most everyone in my family of a certain age), you can surround yourself with like-minded peeps via a little island style activism courtesy of kanu (next volunteer sign-up: aloha 'aina earth day on the windward side).

you can learn more about kanu during eco chic wahine or click over to their website and join the movement!