Locally owned and operated Big Island businesses Aloha Grown, Creative Arts Hawaii and Parker Ranch Store raised $8,000 for the Food Basket through their “Malama” T-shirt fundraising efforts.
“The Food Basket has done so much to support the most vulnerable in our community — our kupuna and keiki,” said Randy Kurohara, Aloha Grown president and owner. “It was our turn to kokua. Here at Aloha Grown, Creative Arts Hawaii and the Parker Ranch Store, we truly believe in giving back to the community that has supported us for over 40 years.”
Limited edition Aloha Grown Malama T-shirts were sold through its retail shops, with 100 percent of all monies collected being donated to the Food Basket on Hawaii Island.
The shirt was designed with green fern leaves to represent the earth, while blue waves represent water — both of which are crucial and necessary food sources. Malama was selected as the shirt theme because malama means “to care for, preserve, protect,” Kurohara said, “and we must malama our island resources in order to provide food for our communities.”
The Food Basket serves 1 in every 3 Hawaii Island residents through its partner agencies, providing nutritious and high-quality food to Big Island families, children and seniors who might otherwise go hungry. Every $20 shirt purchased allowed the Food Basket to help feed seven children breakfast for a week, one senior lunch for more than a month or an entire family dinner for a week.
For more information, visit www.alohagrown.com, www.creativeartshawaii.com, www.parkerranchstore.com or www.hawaiifoodbasket.org.