Aloha tatou,
Like many cultural organizations, Ka ‘ Imi Na’ auao o Hawai’ i Nei resembles an iceberg in that at least 90% of its substance lies below the surface. Too often the visible 10%, our performing halau hula, gets 90% of the attention. To give public acknowledgement where it is well and truly due for our recent tour of Germany is probably impossible. So many people gave so much of themselves to make this endeavor a success that we cannot thank them all individually.
We cannot even begin to list all the wonderful people of Germany, who housed us, fed us, drove us around, translated for us, held our hands, danced for us, laughed with and at us, and carried our almost infinite mass of luggage up and down the Nibelungenturnfs 125 steps. From Andrea who patiently and unflaggingly co-ordinated everything from airport pick-ups to bag lunches, to Herr and Frou Weiner of Michaelskapelle, the staff of Ristorante Taormina, and all those whose names we do not know, mahalo and aloha nui.
To name all those on Kaua’i who have helped us is equally impossible; the list would probably fill an entire page of this newspaper. Special thanks to Margie Faunce, Anne O’Malley, Unlimited Construction, and all the family and friends without whose support we would never have gotten past the Lihu’e airport turn-off. Finally, mahalo to The Garden Island for publishing this letter.
Me ke aloha,
Heu’ ionalani Wyeth,
Secretary