Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival® (HFWF) is pleased to announce that it has donated $75,000 to local culinary, agricultural and community organizations statewide. Proceeds from the eleventh annual Festival were gifted to 11 nonprofit partners, including nine ‘āina-based organizations that collaborated with HFWF to provide hands-on volunteer experiences on the Island of Hawai‘i and O‘ahu through the Festival’s Mālama ‘Āina program.
The 2021 beneficiaries were recognized at a private reception held at Mariposa at Neiman Marcus on Wednesday, May 18 in conjunction with the highly anticipated announcement of the Twelfth Annual HFWF events this fall. In attendance were HFWF sponsors, industry partners and contributors representing numerous international, national and local corporations, government agencies, individual donors, and beneficiary organizations. Contributions from the 2021 Festival brings HFWF’s total community giving to over $3.1 million since its inception in 2011.
In 2021, HFWF’s Mālama ‘Āina activities encouraged participating chefs and festival attendees to care for Hawai‘i, our culture and our natural environment—fostering a deeper connection and appreciation for the ocean and land, as well as the history of the islands. In total, HFWF coordinated nine chef-led Mālama ‘Āina activites with nearly a hundred volunteers, including 27 top chefs from across the country, providing them with the opportunity to work the lands as their ho‘okupu or gift back to Hawai‘i.
“At our core, the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival has always stressed the values of sustainability, education and responsibility,” said HFWF Chief Executive Officer, Denise Yamaguchi. “Even as we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic over the last two years, we have continued to prioritize paying it forward through emergency funds that supported Hawai‘i’s restaurant industry workers and contributions to nonprofit charitable organizations that support local food sustainability, as well as cultural and educational programs.”
2021 Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival Beneficiaries include:
- Hawaiʻi Agricultural Foundation
- Hoʻokuaʻāina
- Imua Family Services
- Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi
- Kū-A-Kanaka
- Kuleana Coral
- Make Music Hawai‘i
- Mālama Loko Ea
- Mālama Maunalua
- Paepae o Heʻeia
- Papahana Kuaola
Each year, HFWF ticket purchases go towards supporting Hawai‘i’s farmers, ranchers, and fishermen, as well as investing in up-and-coming chef talent at local culinary colleges and agricultural education for children.Tickets for the Twelfth Annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival® Presented by First Hawaiian Bank and Mastercard® go on sale today, Thursday, May 26 for a number of events scheduled from October 20-November 6, 2022 in Kāʻanapali, Maui, the Island of Hawai‘i and O‘ahu. Additional events and hands-on experiences to be announced in the coming months. Visit hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com to purchase tickets, view event details and chef lineup.
