Christmas Tree Sale to Replace Sacred Koa Canoe Lost in Fire

Photo Courtesy Na Kai Ewalu.

By Wendy Osher

Na Kai ‘Ewalu Hawaiian outrigger canoe club is hosting a Christmas tree fundraiser to replace a sacred koa canoe that was destroyed in a fire 16 years ago.

The Christmas Tree Sale is near the canoe hale at Hoaloha Park at Kahului Harbor.

Trees are on sale Monday through Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., now through December 14.

The Noble and Douglas Fir trees were sent from a small, family-owned farm in Molalla, Oregon.

Photo Courtesy Na Kai Ewalu.

“It’s been a long process of finding a log (on Big Island), working closely with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands to get funding and clearance and painstaking fundraising,” said club officials in a statement today.

Na Kai ‘Ewalu was founded 40 years ago on Maui for the purpose of engaging in charitable, educational, cultural, and recreational activities associated with Hawaiian canoeing.  The club also promotes outrigger canoe racing and the construction and preservation of authentic Hawaiian Koa canoes.

“Purchasing your Christmas Tree from our canoe club will make a big impact on this endeavor,” said campaign organizers for the Koa Canoe fundraiser.

Photo Courtesy Na Kai Ewalu.