Arakawa Raises over $50,000 in Charity Chess Match for Japan

By Wendy Osher

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa Raises over $50,000 for Japan's Relief Efforts in Charity Chess Match.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa squared off in a charity chess match against actor Owen Wilson.  The match took place at the Maui home of Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO of Relativity.  Kavanaugh raised the stakes by offering to donate $50,000 to the winner for a charity of their choice.

Mayor Arakawa captured Wilson’s King in a best 2 out of 3 games to clench the final win.

Mayor Arakawa will donate his entire winnings to The Aloha Initiative, a project led by the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui to match citizens of Japan who have been displaced by the recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis with host families on Maui.

“Japan was ravaged by such widespread destruction so we wanted to do our part,” said Mayor Arakawa.  “Ryan was a great sport hosting us at his home and Owen and I were able to raise $50,000 to benefit The Aloha Initiative,” said Mayor Arakawa, who last month participated in a tennis tournament for the American Red Cross, which raised $10,000 for Japan’s tsunami relief.

As mayor, Arakawa will continue to raise funds for neighbors in Japan through The Aloha Initiative, a project in which he serves as Honorary Chair, and co-founded by individuals, including County Managing Director Keith Regan.