Paddle Out for Lahaina planned at Kūhiō Beach in Waikīkī on Saturday

Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Festival, together with Nā Kama Kai, invites the public to come together on Saturday, Aug. 19, for family and friends affected by the Lahaina fires with a community paddle out to “Queens” surf break in Waikīkī on Oʻahu.

This event is open to all. Participants are encouraged to bring their own flowers and lei. Monetary donations will be accepted on site and will go directly towards helping families in Lahaina.

The Duke Festival is also raising funds to support the youth athlete scholars in Maui, displaced by the wildfires through the Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.

The Paddle Out for Lahaina event is set for 11 a.m. at Kūhiō Beach, Waikīkī.

Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Festival, held each year in late August on the shores of iconic Waikīkī Beach, where Duke groomed his athletic skills that elevated him into becoming the pioneer of “Waterman”, an Olympic Champion, and the Ambassador of Aloha, celebrates the life and legacy of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku.

Duke’s disciplines of Surfing, Swimming, Outrigger Canoeing, Paddleboard Racing, Surfboard Water Polo, Beach Volleyball, along with evolutions of his influence that includes Foiling and Dog’s Surfing and the RedBull Party Wave are shared throughout the weeklong festival by local, international, and mainland competitors and lifestyle enthusiasts.

Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission, in conjunction with the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, is to provide resources to help enrich the lives of Hawaiʻi’s Scholar Athletes.

Nā Kama Kai is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth by creating, conducting, and supporting ocean-based programs. By targeting ocean safety and conservation awareness, Nā Kama Kai aims to increase the capacity of youth in the community through Hawaiian values, culture, and environmental education. Every year, Nā Kama Kai reaches thousands of children ages 2-18 and is the only program in the State of Hawai‘i to offer free youth ocean safety education to address one of the leading causes of death for youth, drowning.