Page 4 - MidWeek West - June 8, 2022

4 JUNE 8, 2022
HUOA Holds Educational Fair For Kūpuna In Waipi‘o June 17
BY MARIA KANAI
Parking will be available at the center (entrance from ‘Ūke‘e Street) and across the way from the center (entrance from Ka Uka Boulevard).
community back to enjoy our events.”
For those who qualify as kūpuna or those who have a loved senior in the ‘ohana, Hawai‘i United Okinawan Association is throwing its annual Senior Health & Awareness Fair in Waipi‘o from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 17 at the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center.
Attendees can enjoy free exercise classes, a free blood pressure screening, work- shops, door prizes and give- aways. The grand prize is a five-night Las Vegas Cali- fornia Hotel stay with three meals daily (without air fare), courtesy of Vacations Hawai‘i.
Established in 1951, HUOA is responsible for many popular community events, including the popular Okinawan Festival. The or- ganization also holds an an- nual legacy awards banquet, an Okinawan Cultural Day Camp, winter craft and eve- ning craft fairs.
The fair has been taking place since 2008 and took a two-year break due to COVID-19. The organizers are thrilled to bring the event back to the community on the Westside.
Higa recommends bring- ing cash, as some exhibitors will have items for sale, and volunteers will have food for sale, including the associa- tion’s famous and delicious andagi. New this year, the Kidney Foundation will be offering free COVID-19 test- ing on-site.
“Like many other organi- zations, the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center took advantage of the almost two-year lockdown to clean house and have a facelift.
“We hope this fair will pro- vide much-needed informa- tion and education on what to do when you age, how to improve your retirement life, how to take care of your el- derly parents and more,” says Caro Higa of HUOA.
She says, “Special thanks to Gwen Fujie from Yomitan Club and Terry Taira from Yonabaru Chojin Kai for organizing the Senior Fair 2022.
“With the help of our amazing volunteers, we de- cluttered our offices and or- ganized and rearranged our museum exhibit. We are so proud of it we want everyone to come and visit! You will find information and artifacts of plantation days, Okinawa and the HUOA,” says Higa.
This year, the fair will host around 40 government agencies, nonprofits and private businesses. Partici- pants can learn about topics like Medicare plans, nursing homes, services geared to- ward assisting people with disabilities, becoming more independent, family confer- encing and conflict resolu- tion services, in-home care, captioned telephones, fraud prevention awareness, brain health, aura readings, nurs- ing homes and daycare ser- vices.
“Our organization turned 70 last year,” adds Higa. “I came aboard in September 2019, and soon after that the pandemic hit, and all our in-person events had to move to online platforms. Our home, the Hawai‘i Okinawa Center in Waipi‘o Gentry, turned 30 in 2020, and now that the center reopened af- ter two years, we are more than happy to welcome the
Those interested in join- ing the association can sign up online for one its clubs at huoa.tradewing.com. Most of the clubs represent a town or village in Okinawa and were founded by groups of first immigrants that lived or were born there; others are based on Hawai‘i localities. There are also specialty clubs that have common interests such as the Okinawan Genealog- ical Society of Hawai‘i and the Young Okinawans of Ha- wai‘i.
Since 2008, Hawai‘i United Okinawan Association has held its annual Senior Health & Awareness Fair, and this year, it takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 17 at Hawai‘i Okinawa Center. PHOTOS COURTESY CARO HIGA
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