Marya Mann : Blog : Art Garden Celebrates Life At Ka'u Country Fair

Art Garden Celebrates Life at Ka'u Country Fair

“KEIKI ART GARDEN” – by, with & for Feed the Children KA’U COUNTRY FAIR – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 9 – 5 PM BENEFIT for the HAWAII FOOD FOREST PROJECT

NA’ALEHU – Our colorful booth space will offer children of ALL ages the chance to paint their dreams by learning to mix colors, apply dyes to silks and make “Good Luck Banners to End Kids’ Hunger.” The finished banners will be suspended among the trees at the Ka’u Country Fair and form part of an island-wide food-for-thought and thoughtful-food project.

Hawaiian Retreat at Josanna’s Organics (www.hawaiianretreat.com) is providing nourishing snacks of starfruit, oranges, banana and ulu for hungry children at the Art Garden. The silk banners designed (so far) by Hawaiian artists Susan Gallery, Pono Stadler and myself, have been hand-painted by keiki and families to bring light to the problem of childhood hunger in our communities.

Easy and fun for children to do, painted silks are a perfect medium for keiki to express frustration that, on average, more than 30% of our planet’s children struggle with food insecurity –many of them literally starving in Africa and Asia — while a tiny fraction live in extreme wealth. In our own Hawaiian neighborhood of Honaunau, 97% of the children qualify for school lunch programs because of extreme poverty.

We intend to change that. We can Feed the Children so they grow healthy bodies and minds while learning smart skills to help them become self-reliant as adults. Good Luck Banners express confidence and creativity. They are making a positive difference by sharing hope and the abilities needed to create beauty, boost esteem and participate in harmonious teamwork.

Our amazing sponsors, the Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens, Holistic Hawaii, Hawaiian Retreat at Josanna’s Organics, Susan Gallery Art School and Kona Coast Chiropractic and Kona Coast Wellness, are committed to ending hunger and creating a sustainable culture of compassion on Hawai’i Island.

At the country fair, follow the sounds of children’s laughter to find the KEIKI ART GARDEN and look for the vibrant Good Luck banners declaring a world that is banishing hunger through conscious creativity.

Feed the Children Kona is a grassroots effort by farmers, chefs, artists, teachers, mothers, fathers, aunties, uncles and health professionals who are nurturing positive change in our own backyards by feeding and caring for keiki and families who are at risk, hungry and often invisible to the general public.

WHEN: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 9 AM – 5 PM
WHERE: Whittington Beach County Park

Whittington Beach County Park is located in the Ka’ū District just past the 60 mile marker on Highway 11. This small, .82 acre park is almost always a bright and sunny spot with beautiful ocean, cliff and tidal views. A nice stop between Kona and Volcano, Whittington Beach County Park has shelters, picnic tables, fire pits, grills and bathrooms.

The park very poorly marked and the sign is easy to miss. Just just past the 60 mile marker on Highway 11 in Ka’u, look for a maikai (ocean side) turn with a sign that says Whittington Park. If you are coming from Volcano, the entrance to the park is just before the large uphill grade, on the left side of the road. If you are coming from Kona the park entrance is a right hand turn just at the bottom of the long downhill grade. As you are coming down the grade you will also see the abandoned wharf, marking the park.

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STAND-UP YOGI, my alter-egoless, will also be making an appearance at the Festival. Yoga has never been so much fun! “Conservatives say if you don’t give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest,” she says. “As for the poor, they tell us they’ve lost all incentive because we’ve given them too much money. Don’t you wish they’d make up their minds?” Join us to ponder these imponderables, puns and Pele’s yoga flow!

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Are you called to Feed the Children, Kona? We are seeking chefs, volunteers and food commitments from farmers and gardeners for the Christmas Celebration for hungry kids and families. Call 808-328-0171 to get involved NOW. We need your help to support the keiki!