Dean Wong (Imua Family Services), Alan Wong (Alan Wong’s Restaurants), Bob Harrison (First Hawaiian Bank), Roy Yamaguchi (Roy’s Restaurants of Hawaii) and Denise Hayashi Yamaguchi (Hawai’i Food and Wine Festival) pose with the donation check for Imua Family Services. Courtesy photo.

By Maui Now Staff

As part of Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival Kāʻanapali, Roy’s Golf Classic enjoyed a few new twists this year.  For instance, the 18th annual event featured gourmet food, beer and cocktails throughout the course, with dinner on the 19th hole, prepared by Roy’s Kāʻanapali.  The tournament raised $45,000.00 for Imua Family Services, which provides comprehensive early childhood development resources and support to more than 3,000 community members on Maui and Lanaʻi.

That was followed by an unprecedented matched donation by Sunil Dharod, President and Chief Executive Officer of SSCP Management, which acquired the Roy’s restaurant chain in January.  The combined donation totaled $90,000 (and counting).

Chief Executive Officer of SSCP Management, Sunil Dharod with Imua Family Services Executive Director Dean Wong, after Dharod matched the tournament’s $45K, bringing the night’s donation total to $90K.

Forty teams that included celebrity chefs, winemakers and golf pros vied for top honors on the course.  Some of the prizes?  A Maui Toyota 2015 Corolla giveaway, signed copies of Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival’s official cookbook and rounds of golf.  The day culminated with a “hole-in-one” dinner and awards presentation, emceed by Guy Hagi at Roy’s Kāʻanapali.

This year, Royal Lahaina Resort (Gary Hogan, Tom Bell, Peter Hehemann) took first place, Roy’s Restaurants (Sharon Brown, Denise Hayashi Yamaguchi, Joe Melville) placed second, and Royal Lahaina Resort Team #2 (Jerry Sager, June Pagdilao, Jansen Medeiros) placed third.

Imua Family Services Executive Director Dean Wong poses with Chef Sheldon Simeon and team overlooking Hole #17 on Ka’anapali Golf Course. Courtesy photo.