KAILUA-KONA — PATH took one small step toward connecting all of North Kona and one giant leap toward safer recreation in the district Saturday with the dedication of the first completed mile of the Queen’s Lei project.
Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, or PATH, along with the County of Hawaii, West Hawaii Rotary Clubs, LavaKids and dozens of community members gathered in the upper parking lot at the West Hawaii Civic Center to celebrate a plan that has been years in the making.
Kahu Danny Akaka Jr. completed the dedication by offering a traditional blessing, and the mile-long trail was christened by the keiki dash before one-mile and two-mile fun runs.
PATH Executive Director Tina Clothier hosted the event and hopes to one day lengthen the trail to 16.75 miles, connecting all of North Kona.
“We hope within the next ten years, the entire path will be completed,” Clothier said. “It’s going to take time, but if we could complete one mile per year, that would be awesome.”
The logistics of completing the project in its entirety are reliant on several factors, including completion of the ongoing construction to widen Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
But Clothier said the next step — running another stretch of trail from Kealakehe Parkway to Palani Road — should be relatively simple by comparison. She was optimistic that section could be completed by year’s end.
Another challenge PATH faces is financing the project. The first mile required $50,000 for completion, much of which came from one donor organization.
Diana Bertsch, Vice President of Ironman World Championship Events, said the organization chipped in $35,000 to make PATH’s vision a reality because a recreational trail is both in demand and something North Kona deserves.
“Because of accidents that may have happened on the road, we need to give the community a safe place to walk, a safe place to ride, a safe place to run,” Bertsch said. “The Ironman Foundation is incredibly proud to be a part of something that is so significant to the community.”
Fundraising will be ongoing as the project develops over the coming months and years. Clothier said she’s hoping for an inclusive community approach as more residents recognize the benefits of the Queen’s Lei project.
Those benefits, as PATH sees them, are: The connection of the future university site with the high school and Kailua Village; circulation for working commuters, students and visitors; a more attractive recreational scene; and above all else, safety.
“We would love to have different community groups help us make this happen,” Clothier said.