The Kona Brewers Festival may have been called off this year, but that hasn’t stopped organizers from donating funds to their pre-designated charities.
The festival and fundraiser, which was scheduled to be held March 14, was called off two days before the event as news of the fast-moving pandemic was breaking.
“At the time, it was a hard decision, but now, looking back, we absolutely made the right call to put people first,” said festival director Kate Jacobson through a press release. “We are happy to share that even though we had already incurred many expenses, we raised $90,000. All pre-approved Beneficiaries will be receiving 75% of projected fundraising goals.”
Contributions came from Kona Brewing Co., which donated $100,000, The Healy Foundation’s matching grant of $25,000, Southwest Airlines, which gifted $16,000, dozens of other business sponsors and the hundreds of fans who donated their tickets to fund important community work supporting the environment, culture and youth.
“We are so impressed by the agility and resilience of our Beneficiaries who are moment by moment, reinventing how to deliver programs and services. This is not easy to do, and we have great respect for them being so strong and smart in these extraordinary times,” said Jacobson. “We understand the challenge of uncertainty and that now, more than ever, our commitment to collaboration and sustainable practices needs to be at the forefront of how we move forward.”
“To see the support rolling in since the day we announced the cancellation, from the homebrewers to the fans sending in checks, it really shows how much this event means to our island Ohana,” said organizer Summer Carrick.
Ke Kai Ala Foundation Chairman Mattson Davis asked organizers to “Dig deep, be generous, and this too shall pass, we will get through this. The state of Hawaii is very resilient, has gotten through so many things, even when our economy is so dependent on tourism. There is going to be a lot called upon you in the next months. Your friends may reach out to you. Be creative.”
Organizers plan to make the popular Kona Brewers Festival merchandise available for sale and will be announcing a retail page for soon at www.konabrewersfestival.com.
“One of the surprising lessons for me is how festivals contribute to social cohesion and positivity. We all need to stay home and safe now, so we can gather together again in celebration of each other and our beautiful island life,” said Jacobson.