Inauguration Food Drive Spreads Spirit of Giving in New Year

By Wendy Osher

Volunteers Guy Arisumi (left) & Ramon Cardona-Elias (right) helped to collect donations. Courtesy Photo.

A food drive held in conjunction with the Maui Mayoral Inauguration this weekend drew more than 2,400 canned good donations and nearly $1,000 in monetary contributions.

The money and items collected will be turned over to the Maui Food Bank, Feed My Sheep, Family Life Center, Hale Kau Kau and the Salvation Army.  It will be used to feed the homeless and those in need in the New Year.

Today, the Mayor’s office extended a “Mahalo” to those who made donations.

The inauguration event, held on Sunday, January 2, 2011 at War Memorial Gym, drew an estimated crowd of 1,100 people who witnessed Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa take his oath of office for the new term.