LIHUE — The three-day pickleball tournament that wrapped up on Sunday provided a big boost to the 2026 Visitor Industry Charity Walk, which has a goal of raising $700,000.
“We’re going to make it!” said Samira Siale, the director of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, Kauai Chapter, which presents the Charity Walk. “Last year, we came close to the goal. This year, we’re going to hit the goal, or better yet, we’re going over.”
Siale said there were about 140 teams registered for the tournament that started Friday and continued through Sunday at the Kauai Community College courts. This total represents an increase over the 118 teams that signed up for the 2025 tournament and boosted the Charity Walk fundraising efforts by about $10,000.
The 2026 Charity Walk, this year celebrating its 47th anniversary, is chaired by Aaron Bambling, general manager of the Koloa Landing Resort, and co-chaired by Michael Gibson, general manager of the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. It will take place on May 2 at the Vidinha Stadium soccer field with registration starting at 6 a.m. and the runners leaving at 7 a.m. followed by the sea of walkers at 7:05 a.m.
The proceeds will be shared by more than 50 of Kauai nonprofits. One of those is Growing Our Own Teachers, whose Jennifer Hreljac, the Kauai High School tennis coach, said she will return to the KCC courts to start her volunteer tenure after a morning of watching the competition, which overflowed onto the regulation tennis courts.
Among the players waiting play, the key organizer for the tournament benefiting Child and Family Service noted the capability of pickleball tournaments to fundraise for organizations providing essential services for the island’s communities.
“During last year’s tournament, the proceeds raised covers the rent of Nana’s House, the CFS family service center in Waimea, for about two years,” the organizer said. “This year, we’re looking at utilizing some of the Nana’s House families and raising the goal to cover more services.”
Siale said the next fundraising event for the Charity Walk starts on Wednesday when on-air personality Ron Wiley of KQNG Fm 93.5 hosts the Wednesday Walk from 6:30 a.m.
The on-air auction starting bid is $500 for a typical package that includes a three-night stay at one of the Kauai resorts, a $200 food credit, and two activities from the resort.
Registration and donations to the 2026 Visitor Industry Charity Walk can be done online through the Charity Walk website at www.charitywalkhawaii.org/kauai.
The title sponsors for the Charity Walk include Premier Restoration Hawaii and Southwest Airlines.
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