From Prep to Pāʻina - PERFECT!

mrshawaiiintl2016
May 26, 2016
1 min read

Words cannot express how grateful I am for all the support we received in the success of this event! It was a dream of mine for a very long time, and so many hands and heads went in to making this a reality! Early April, just 2 weeks after I became Mrs. Hawaiʻi International, I thought about what it was that got me to that point. I knew...it was my upbringing, the people who said things to influence me as a child, those words never left. Experiences I gained with my ʻohana, my kupuna, those who surrounded me, had everything to do with the woman Iʻve become and I wanted to take the celebration back "home" to where it all began.

There are so many MAHALOs to give...I wouldnʻt know where to begin! Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you for your contribution whether it be cooking the food for 800 people or purchasing a take-out ticket. Big or small, your contribution is what made this event a success and we canʻt wait to do it all over again next year...bigger and better!

Update as of 6/21: Iʻd also like to give a special shout out to the Uncles on the Corner who took some time to feed me my 1st meal of the day (fried fish with poke and kulolo) when I went to go see them for a bit. A fond aloha to Uncle Dorian Paʻia, who was there that day, but has since become our heavenly angel. Ke aloha no ʻAnakala...