Maui’s 1st Annual Paddle For Keiki, Dec. 18

Paddle for Keiki.

Hawaiian Paddle Sports and Street Bikers United will host the first Annual Paddle For Keiki event at the Kīhei Canoe Club on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016.

The fundraising gift drive aims to help Maui County youth during the holiday season.

Every holiday season, motorcycle riders around the island join together to gather toys for Maui’s underprivileged youth. Ron Panzo, president of Street Bikers United and owner of Nalu’s South Shore Grill and Timothy Lara, founder of Hawaiian Paddle Sports, thought about how to spread this event to the paddling community.

Event organizers say the idea for Paddle For Keiki was born out of marrying two other great events they were already a part of: Toys For Tots Motorcycle Toy Run for Maui’s youth and Paddle For Hunger, a food drive for Maui Food Bank.

With Paddle For Keiki, participants will paddle “anything that floats” just like Paddle For Hunger, but instead will donate toys for Maui’s youth.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register and bring an unwrapped toy for a child on Maui.

WHAT: 1st Annual Paddle For Keiki Maui’s paddling community will come together for a fun morning on the water with this anything that floats, jungle rules, untimed “race” fundraiser. All toys and proceeds benefit Maui County children in need.

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18
7 a.m. – Check in for Paddle For Keiki
8 a.m. – Races start
9 a.m. Races end. Participants go home and freshen up.
Noon – Paddle For Keiki Toy Parade. Join the caravan as Santa and an outrigger canoe full of toys head from Kīhei Canoe Club to Nalu’s at Azeka Shopping Center with a large motorcycle escort from Street Bikers United.
12:30 p.m. – After party at Nalu’s. Enjoy food and drink specials and live music. Free lunch for pre-registered guests who donate $25 or more.

WHERE: Kīhei Canoe Club at Ka Lae Pōhaku Beach Park, Intersection of Uwapo and South Kīhei Rd.

REGISTRATION at www.paddleforkeiki.com

COST: FREE and open to the public. Spectators are encouraged to come!

DONATIONS: Monetary Donations Checks, cash and credit cards are accepted. Checks can be made payable to “Toy Parade Inc.”

Toy Donations: To help ensure all children on our list receive a toy, pre-register online to choose and gender and age. Bring your unwrapped toys to Kīhei Canoe Club on race day, where Paddle For Keiki volunteers will wrap them. The first 100 individuals who donate $25 or more or a toy of equal or greater value will receive a Paddle For Keiki t-shirt and free lunch from Nalu’s at the after party.

VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are needed to help wrap gifts on race day from 7-9 a.m. Email [email protected] to sign up.

SPONSORS: Hawaiian Paddle Sports, Nalu’s South Shore Grill, Street Bikers United, Kīhei Canoe Club, Made in Hawai‘i, and Be Like Liquid Media.

Paddle For Keiki is organized by Hawaiian Paddle Sports as part of its Mālama Maui community give back program.