Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival presents checks

<em>The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival presented more than $200,000 in donations to several local organizations during a reception at Kapiolani Community College on Monday, Feb. 4. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jamm Aquino)</em>

The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival presented more than $200,000 in donations to several local organizations during a reception at Kapiolani Community College on Monday, Feb. 4. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jamm Aquino)

BY NINA WU / nwu@staradvertiser.com

As a testament to the success of the 2012 Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong presented a total of $210,000 in checks to five non-profit groups during a reception at Kapiolani Community College on Monday, Feb. 4.

Co-chairs Yamaguchi and Wong spearheaded the festival in 2011, envisioning it as an internationally recognized, world-class epicurean destination event inspired by locally-sourced products.

Last year, the second Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival generated an attendance of more than 4,000 diners (both local and international) who attended 15 events at six venues on Oahu. The festival featured more than 60 chefs, four master sommeliers, 25 top-tier winemakers and 31 local farmers and artisan food producers.

More than 200 culinary students from Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Maui College and Kauai Community College had the opportunity to work side-by-side with some of the most respected names in the industry.

Besides putting the spotlight on Hawaii, chef Alan Wong said the reason for the festival is to
support the greater cause of cultivating future generations of chefs and farmers and to “make the decisions today so our grandchildren’s children can enjoy what they enjoy today, tomorrow.”

John Morton, vice president for University of Hawaii Community Colleges, announced that it expected to go “out to bid” for construction of phase I of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at the former Cannon Club site in a few weeks, followed by the restaurant in about six months.

“After a long time of slow cooking, it’s finally happening,” said Morton.

“It feels good,” said Yamaguchi after the checks were presented. “That’s what you live for. That’s the bottom line.”

The following amounts were given to the following five non-profits:

» $10,000 to Papahana Kuaola, a non-profit based in Kaneohe which seeks to create quality educational programs focused on Hawaii’s cultural and natural history as well as environmental restoration. The group offers class presentations and field experiences to public, private, charter and home schools on Oahu and Molokai.

» $10,000 to Paepae o He‘eia (Friends of He‘eia Fishpond), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to caring for He‘eia Fishpond — an ancient Hawaiian fishpond on Oahu.

» $30,000 to Leeward Community College.

» $80,000 to the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation, which aims to promote agriculture and farming to enhance environmental stewardship in Hawaii, through agricultural research, education and training.

» $80,000 to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, envisioned as an advanced culinary program on the slopes of Diamond Head.

The third annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival is scheduled for Sept. 1 to Sept. 8 and will kick off on Maui. Follow @HIFoodWineFest on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

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