Mahalo for Your Support!
Without you, the Spread A Little Aloha Performance & Community Service Tour would not have been possible! It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share the Hawaiian art of the hula and the spirit of aloha outside of our home town. We look forward to another year of making a postive difference in our community and beyond.
Follow the progress, read the Tour Blog. And don’t forget to thank our tour sponsors.
Spread A Little Aloha Tour – Summer 2011
Welcome to The ‘Ōpio of Nā Wai Ola Hula Performance & Leadership Team’s Webpage. We are an award-winning group of youth hula dancers from the San Francisco Bay Area. Our group will be going on a performance and community service tour this summer. The tour is called, “Spread a Little Aloha”, and our goal is to make a positive impact on many people’s lives through the Hawaiian art of the hula and the spirit of aloha. Part of our mission statement is to perpetuate and preserve the Hawaiian culture, to be stewards of aloha, to lead by example, and to settle for nothing less than their our personal best in all aspects of our lives.
During our tour we will be sharing entertaining and culturally authentic Hawaiian performances. We may serve meals, work with children, as well as donate items (new toys, hygiene kits, clothing, school supplies, books) requested by the family shelters, public schools and arts programs in need of assistance due to budget cuts. During this tour we also plan on sharing our gratitude and appreciation for the military families at several US bases, and will perform at and bring new toys to hospitals for children.
The members of our team range in age from twelve to sixteen. Most of us began dancing at age five or six, and have trained in California as well as attended a Hawaiʻi Summer Exploration to further our study. We have received awards at competitions, and have performed for airlines, high tech companies, professional sports teams, museums, libraries, and numerous community festivals.
We have a passion for community service, and have hosted successful projects in our leadership program. These projects include: Hula for Haiti, a community performance which raised over $3500 for the American Red Cross-Haiti Relief Fund; A Hawaiian Christmas at the San Jose Family Shelter, where we shared a Hawaiian dinner with a Hawaiian performance for residents, complete with lei making craft for the children; Toy drive for Toys for Tots; A winter coat drive for One Warm Coat; Santa Cruz beach clean-up for The Surfrider Foundation. With the recent disaster in Japan, our group will help organize the Hula to Help Japan charity event in June for the Japanese Red Cross.
We are currently raising funds and soliciting sponsorships to provide desperately needed items for the organizations we’ll be visiting on our tour this summer, as well as to help defray the travel expenses for the members of our team. We ask for your support by making a donation.
The ‘Opio of Na Wai Ola Hawaiian Leadership
Donate $15