Maui Hotel & Lodging Association raises more than $72,000 for education

The 28^th Annual Excellence in Education Golf Tournament presented by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits took place on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at the Wailea Golf Club Blue Course. One-hundred-forty-four players from the visitor industry, along with sponsors and donors raised $72,000 for hospitality programs, related scholarships and the Maui Junior Golf Association.

“This industry is the biggest employer of Maui County, and we care about our workforce,” said Aaron Placourakis, owner of AMP Restaurants, co-host for this tournament. “Investing into our upcoming leaders is something we take pride in.”

In addition to co-host Wailea Golf Club, other sponsors of this year’s fundraiser included the Title Sponsor, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Platinum Sponsor, Waste Pro Hawaiʻi; Awards Luncheon Sponsors, AMP Restaurants and Maui Brewing Co.; Allied Brand Sponsor, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi; Promotional Sponsor, Market Advantage; Breakfast Sponsor, Back of House Concepts; Coffee Sponsor, First Hawaiian Bank; Jr. Golf Bento Sponsor, ProService Hawaiʻi; Utensil & Coffee Cup Sponsor, Sustainable Island Products; Exclusive Airline Sponsor, Alaska & Hawaiian Airlines; and Hole Sponsors, Premier Restoration, Swinerton Builders, and The Sentry, PGA TOUR.

Additional sponsor teams included: The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Harmer Communications, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Pacific Panel Cleaners, Fairmont Kea Lani, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Ritz Carlton Kapalua, Koa Maintenance, Maui Resort Rentals, Rider Levett Bucknall, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Westin Kāʻanapali Ocean Resort, First On Site, VIP Foodservice, Westin Nanea, Castaway Construction, Bergeman Group, ʻĀina Lani Pacific, and Metropolis. Additional donating sponsors included: Nāpili Kai Beach, Montage Kapalua, KBL Molokaʻi, Island Art Party, Elcco Electric, and 35 volunteers from the Maui Jr. Golf Association.

“Wailea Golf & Tennis is proud to have hosted the Excellence in Education Golf Tournament,” said Dave Ulm, General Manager, Wailea Golf & Tennis. “As a sponsor, we are honored to help raise funds that support education on Maui, and our team looks forward to continuing our support of this important cause for years to come.

The 2025 top finishing teams were the Westin Kāʻanapali Ocean Resort, Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, Fairmont Kea Lani, ʻĀina Lani Pacific, Sheraton Maui, Market Advantage, Wailea Golf Club, Harmer Communications, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

The funds raised by this tournament will fuel three different scholarship programs, distributed in Spring of 2026: 

• The Academy of Hospitality & Tourism at Baldwin, Lahainaluna and Maui High Schools
• University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Culinary Arts and Hospitality & Tourism programs
• MHLA Member Scholarship Program

Applicants may visit the MHLA webpage to learn more about available scholarship programs.