$9 M in Grants Released by Maui Mayor’s Office

(7.20.18) PC: Wendy Osher

During the first half of fiscal year 2019, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development issued more than $9 million in grant funds to various local organizations. Grantees were selected based on their economic impact within Maui County through business and/or jobs created or sustained. Improvements to Maui County in the areas of environment, agriculture, business, sports, arts and cultural were also considered.

“These economic development grants are a vital way that our tax dollars help create jobs and sustain our local economy,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa. “Funds have helped preserve our environment and open space, support our small businesses, and share our host culture with residents and visitors. I’m pleased to see how far these funds go toward strengthening our community on many levels.”

The list of grantees includes the following:

West Maui Soil & Water, $148,000
Clerical and Tech Support
Clerical and technical support for education, planning and reviewing the County’s grading and grubbing permit plans.

Maui County Visitor Association, $4,000,000
Maui Nui Tourism Improvement Initiative
To support marketing efforts for Maui County as a destination and to promote Hawaiian culture to visitors in Maui Nui and abroad.

University of Hawaiʻi, $75,000
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Funds help with activities in Maui County in the area of agriculture, youth development and family service.

Lōkahi Pacific, $10,000
Emma Farden Sharpe Hula Festival
Supports a Hula Festival in the name of Maui’s Kumu Emma Farden Sharpe.

Lōkahi Pacific, $80,000
Festivals of Aloha
Funds honor the Native Hawaiian heritage by sharing it with visitors and residents.

Kīhei 4th Friday, $35,000
Kīhei Friday Town Party
Funds Kīhei’s Friday Town Party Event.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center, $318,000
Culture and Arts
Supports the economic sustainability of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s arts and entertainment programming that employs people locally, contracts local businesses, and promotes tourism.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center, $424,360
Arts in Education
Supports the integration of the arts through education to students and teachers by implementing events and community outreach.

Valley Isle Road Runners, $4,500
Maui Marathon
Supports the Maui Marathon.

Lānaʻi Community Assocation, $20,000
Lānaʻi Pinapple Festival
Lānaʻi Pineapple Festival is an annual event during the summer for residents and visitors to celebrate Lānaʻi’s people, history and culture.

Lahaina Town Action, $40,000
Annual Town Events
Lahaina’s annual events include Hawaiian music and hula along with various Holiday celebrations.

Lōkahi Pacific, $30,000
Wailuku First Friday
Funds Wailuku’s Friday Town Party Event.

The Friends of DT Fleming, $37,000
Seeds of Hope
Funds projects to preserve Maui’s dry land native plants, forests, wildlife and valuable conservation resources while educating and actively engaging youth, community and visitors.

University of Hawaiʻi, $70,000
Business Research Library
Supports the operations of the Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center to promote sustainable economic development and to produce the Maui County Data Book.

Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke, $20,000
Mahele Farm
Mahele Farm is Hāna’s organic community farm, offering paid apprenticeships, semi-weekly community workdays, and educational programs for grades Pre-K -12.

Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke, $90,000
Building Program
Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke is a vocational education program for at-risk youth in Hāna, Maui, providing hands-on construction skills training to improve economic sustainability.

Maui Economic Opportunity, $265,000
Micro-enterprise Program
Supports MEO’s micro-enterprise program, which assists small business entrepreneurs with business plan training, credit assessment, technical assistance and microloans for business startup and expansion in Maui County.

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., $45,000
Maui High School Automotive Program
The Maui High School Automotive Grant will increase student’s interests in automotive technology, including more green environmental transportation.

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., $810,000
Economic Diversification
Providing leadership and vision in our community for the responsible design and development of a strong, sustainable, and diversified economy for Maui.

Maui Arts & Cultural Center, $600,000
Capital Improvements
To continue renovation and rehabilitation on the 25+ year facility.

Lahaina Town Action, $25,000
Lahaina Boat Days
Hawaiian music and hula dancing to greet 50 cruise ships in the Lahaina Harbor.

Maui Chamber of Commerce, $129,500
Made in Maui County Festival
A festival that celebrates the County’s largest locally made product show by featuring a wide variety of Hawaiʻi value-added products.

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., $27,500
Maui Film Festival
An annual film festival in Wailea that celebrates film, culinary arts and Hawaiian culture.

Grow Some Good, $25,000
School Gardens
Funds will help with school garden coordinators to implement garden installations and instruction in organic gardening for grades K – 8.

Maui Community Theater, $53,045
ʻĪao Theater Restoration
Funds go toward the upkeep, restoration, maintenance and custodial tasks for the Historic ʻĪao Theater.

Maui Nui Botanical Gardens Inc., $150,000
Native Hawaiian Plants
MNBG is a public native plant garden that fosters appreciation of Maui County’s native and canoe plants and their role in Hawaiian cultural expression.

Ka Molokaʻi Makahiki, Inc., $20,000
Molokaʻi Makahiki
A two-and-a-half day cultural event that promotes economic activity.

Maui Huliau Foundation, $20,000
Huliau Environmental Filmmaking
To assist Maui youth in producing two environmental films.

Hāna Arts, $20,000
Building East Maui’s Economy Through Art
Project encompasses a series of programs aimed at building East Maui’s economy through the Arts, which aims to achieve diversification of the employment base of this rural, high-need area.

Hui O Waʻa Kaulua, $10,000
Maui Nui Canoe Race
A challenging long-distance outrigger race on two islands spanning two days and over 100 miles.

Maui Chamber of Commerce, $13,000
Small Business Promotion
Funds the Mayor’s Small Business Awards, Hawaiʻi on the Hill, and other events that support small businesses.

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., $50,000
Health Sector
Further development and facilitation of the Maui County Health Sector Initiative Action Plan drawn up by the Maui County Healthcare Partnership.

Molokaʻi Livestock Cooperative, $10,000
Back Up Plan
Supports the Molokaʻi Livestock Cooperative in becoming a more efficient work environment while ensuring the sustainability of their operations.

ClimbHI, $5,000
LEI
LEI is a workforce development program inspiring Hawaiʻi’s youth to select careers in the Hawaiʻi visitor industry.

Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., $25,000
Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows Program
10 month program to train emerging leaders on the complex issues facing Maui Nui.

Lōkahi Pacific, $15,000
Makawao Rodeo Parade
The 53rd Annual Makawao Rodeo Parade is a celebration of Makawao’s colorful Paniolo past, represented with a colorful Hawaiian style wild west parade.

Kīpahulu ʻOhana, Inc., $10,000
Kīpahulu Kitchen and Kapahu Living Farm
Funds equipment and materials to support the operations of Kīpahulu Kitchen and Kapahu Living Farm.

Pāʻia Town Association, $45,000
Strategic Planning
To fund projects to improve Pāʻia town and support the work of Pāʻia Town Association.

Aha Kukui O Molokaʻi, $20,000
Kulāia Canoe Festivals
A Hawaiian cultural event highlighting outrigger canoe paddling, Hawaiian music, cultural food, and Molokaʻi made products.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, $40,000
Coral Reef Recovery
To educate visitors about coral reefs and clean ocean water.

Makawao Merchant’s Association, $40,000
Makawao Friday Town Party
Funds the Makawao Friday Town Party Event.

Lānaʻi Academy of Performing Arts, $10,000
Kaululaʻau
Funds production of a play by a local playwright.

University of Hawaiʻi, $750,000
Coqui Frogs
Funds for operations of coqui frog control around the Maliko Gulch and other areas of Maui.

Oahu Economic Development Board, $15,000
Aloha Challenge
Provides an updated innovation and community driven data to assess progress towards sustainability and climate action goals.

East Maui Taro Festival, Inc., $18,000
East Maui Taro Festival
Funds the Annual East Maui Taro Festival that focuses on taro in an all-day free event.

Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber, $10,000
Annual Business Fest
Funds the MNCOC’s annual business fest; this year’s theme, “Business of Food,” explores the various aspects of food’s role around sustainability in the context of our culture, and the interdependence between those who grow, manufacture, prepare and consume food.

Hui Noʻeau, $10,000
Maui Made Holiday Markets
Supports Made on Maui vendors to display and sell locally crafted artwork and products.

Tri-Isle RC&D, $50,000
Axis Deer Management Kula Ag Park
Project manages the axis deer population in the Kula Ag Park through harvesting.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, $169,000
Coral Reef Recovery
Implementation of Maui Coral Reef Recovery Plan through the continuation and expansion of a citizen-based water quality monitoring program, local and global outreach, and community-based restoration efforts at priority recovery sites.

Tri-Isle RC&D, $20,000
Maui Coastal Dune Restoration
Dune restoration and erosion control efforts,primarily at South Maui beaches and County Parks.

Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation, $115,000
Farm Apprentice Mentoring Program
The FAM program provides education, skills, and a supporting network to beginning farmers to be successful in their agricultural enterprises.

Maui Food Technology Center, $20,000
Export Opportunity
To provide Maui County Food Entrepreneurs export readiness training, technical support, and consultation services.

Maui County Visitor Association, $160,000
Visitor Education
To educate visitors on topics concerning Environment-Reef Safe Sunscreen, Ocean Safety, and Culture.

Makawao History Museum, $25,000
Infrastructure and Community Engagement
To preserve Makawao’s history and culture.

Maui Food Technology Center, $10,000
Maui Sunday Market
A Sunday market in Kahului that brings community members and cruise ship passengers together for shopping, eating and enjoying local entertainment.

Maui Dance Council, $26,000
Chance to Dance
Funds will help with educational residencies that integrate dance with classroom curriculum and are taught by trained teaching artists to students in grades Pre K-6th on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi.

Maui Epicure LLC, $18,000
Maui Fruit Jewels
Enable the company to scale up production, thereby increasing their procurement of Maui-grown fruit and produce, which benefits local growers.

Hāna Canoe Club, $10,000
Hāna Regatta
The Hāna Regatta is an annual two-day outrigger canoe regatta that draws over 1000 people and includes entertainment, food, craft vendors and cultural activities.

Kaʻehu, $75,000
Kaʻehu Management Project
Improve infrastructure in the Kaʻehu Bay parcel.

Maui Historical Society, $25,000
Hula and Oli Festival
“Tell Story Time” at Bailey House Museum.