Page 23 - MidWeek - July 14, 2021

IThe Perfect Mix Of Aloha, Lemonade
The Stanton family received a helping hand at their lemonade stand from former Hawai‘i residents Christian Vasconcellos and Josh Cravahlo.
purchase grocery gift cards, toys and hygiene products, as well as provide the family with a $500 check. He also was able to help improve the lemonade stand with new signs and a pop-up tent to provide more shade. Sever- al former Hawai‘i residents also showed up to the stand to purchase lemonade, as well as donate. We were thankful that we could be there, not only to support the Stantons, but also witness all the aloha.
t’s no surprise that the aloha spirit is strong here on the Ninth Island,
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as more than 50,000 former Hawai‘i residents now call Vegas home. One of those is Christian Vasconcellos, the owner of Empire Hustle, who took it upon himself to organize the ultimate spread- ing of aloha.
It all started when he stopped at a lemonade stand to support young entrepre- neurs set up under a small umbrella in 115-degree heat. After speaking with the two young boys, Christian learned that they were two of eight children, ranging in age from 6 months to 16 years old, and that they took turns running the lemonade stand Mondays-Saturdays to raise money to buy food for their family, the Stantons.
their kids missed Puka Dogs back home so much that they worked to create a similar snack, resulting in their own version, called Tiki Dogs. Tak- ing a leap of faith, they turned their cravings into a business and opened a food truck to sell their Hawaiian-style gourmet hot dogs and freshly squeezed lemonade across the Vegas Valley.
This encounter weighed on Christian, and he want- ed to do something to help. He took to social media to share the story. The mes- sages flooded in along with donations from all over. Christian received so much support that he was able to
The good eats don’t stop there. Former Kaua‘i residents Gizelle and Samuel Dias and
And, here’s an entertain- ment update: The Downtown Brew Festival, which boasts more than 200 types of beer, will be held Oct. 16. The U.S. men’s national rugby union team, the Eagles, will host Ireland Oct. 30 at Allegiant Stadium. Also coming to Al- legiant Stadium is the Ninth Island Showdown between University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of Ha- wai‘i at Mānoa Nov. 13.
Thanks to Shawn Cabania, and Gizelle and Samuel Dias, Tiki Dogs is a popular stop for lovers of gourmet hot dogs. PHOTOS COURTESY KRISTINE RODRIGUEZ
Catch Sebastian and Ninth Island Connection at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on K5 and 2 p.m. Sundays on KGMB.
info@ninthislandconnection.com