About Town 6-5-13

Storage unit auction benefits hospital

The Unit-Charity Auction is offering an easy way to get rid of unwanted household/garage items and at the same time do something good for the community hospital. The public can take those items to the office of Power Self Storage to help fill up a storage unit that will be auctioned off to the highest bidder on June 29. Items in reasonably good condition are needed by June 28. For items too large to transport, call 322-4587 to arrange a pick-up. Proceeds from Filling the Unit-Charity Auction will be donated to the Kona Hospital Foundation.

Power Self Storage is located at 76-6201 Walua Road, Kailua-Kona, 331-2828.

Quilters meeting Saturday in Waimea

Mauna Kea Quilters meets from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Thelma Parker Memorial Library meeting room in Waimea. The group of patchwork quilters donates its creations to raise money for organizations around Waimea, as well as provides quilts to the police and fire departments and North Hawaii Community Hospital for those in need.

For more information, call Becky Parkinson at 937-2159.

Taiko Festival this weekend in Hilo

The University of Hawaii at Hilo Performing Arts Center presents Big Island Taiko Festival 2013, featuring Taishoji Taiko, Hui Okinawa Kobudo Taiko, Puna Hongwanji Taiko Club and Kona Daifukuji Taiko, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Taishoji Taiko, under the direction of Chad Nakagawa, was founded under Yoshihumi Ono at Taishoji Soto Mission in Hilo; Hui Okinawa Kobudo Taiko, under the guidance of Milton Yafuso and Troy Sakihara, practices and performs a drumming style based on Okinawan martial arts; Puna Hongwanji Taiko Club, under the direction of the Rev. Earl Ikeda, Paul Sakamoto and Lani Tak, was founded in 2003 by Ikeda as a community-focused group with drummers of all ages and experience striving to perpetuate taiko as a cultural and recreational activity; and Kona Daifukuji Taiko was founded in 1988 by the Rev. Ryuki Tamiya and his wife and is comprised of youth from elementary through high school under the direction of instructors Akemi Iwamoto and Justin Fernandez.

Tickets are $10 general for general admission and $5 for seniors, UH students with valid ID and children 17 and younger. Call 974-7310 or order online at artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.