Big turnout for the 2nd Annual Hawaii Kai Dog Walk*
Archived July 2006 article

Community response to the second annual Hawaii Kai Dog Walk was "overwhelming," according to the nonprofit group Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i, organizers of the event. About 350 participants attended the Dog Walk at the Park and Ride on Sunday, June 4th, almost double the number who attended the inaugural event last August. The Dog Walk was held to support development of the Hawaii Kai Dog Park, which is to be built on unused City land at the makai end of the Park and Ride. The dog park will be developed through a public-private partnership between the Department of Parks and Recreation and Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i.

Hui 'Ilio acquired new sponsors for the dog walk this year and had dozens of repeat sponsors from last year. They gave away over 50 door prizes, and also provided small gifts to the participants in their registration packets. More than 50 volunteers helped Hui 'Ilio's board of directors to stage the event, including the Hawaii Kai Jaycees, the Cherry Blossom Court, and a group of Kaiser High School students. The directors and volunteers provided a photo booth and face painting, and the music was all about dogs.

Mike Buck served as the MC and special guests included Councilmember Charles Djou, Gus Hannemann representing Mayor Hannemann, and representatives from the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board. The Hawaiian Humane Society hosted an information booth and two other dog park groups, the Windward Dog Park Organization and Ala Wai K9 Playground Association, hosted booths. "We are all working for the same cause and we are lending each other support," said Lois Ishihara, President of the Windward dog park group.

Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i has been working to establish a dog park in Hawaii Kai for almost two years. After getting a unanimous endorsement from the Neighborhood Board in late 2004, and with additional help from Councilmember Charles Djou, the City Council passed a resolution in 2005 designating the unused City land next to the Park and Ride for use as a dog park. The group had less success getting into the Capital Budget last year. Parks and Recreation Director Lester Chang met with the community last summer and told them the fastest way to get the park built would be to privately raise the funds for construction. Chang said that the Parks and Recreation Department would help by clearing the land and providing trees. Once the park is opened it will be maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. Hui 'Ilio Hawai'i will recruit and train volunteers to monitor the park.

Hui 'Ilio's first challenge was to get design plans approved for the dog park, according to Elaine Dobashi, the group's president. Jim Lyon of Lyon Associates, a civil engineering firm, offered his firm's pro-bono services to develop the park plans and has been working with Hui 'Ilio since late last year. DJNS Surveying & Mapping, Inc. donated their services to provide a topographical survey. Ben Lee of Brownlie and Lee, landscape architects, is working on the irrigation plans. "We are getting closer," said Dobashi. "We'll be ready very soon to submit the construction plans to the Department of Design and Construction for approval. Then all we have to do is raise enough money to start construction." Dobashi said that while the Dog Walk raised several thousand dollars for the dog park, the construction costs will exceed $70,000. "We're looking for businesses and foundations to help with funding construction, and contractors who would like to donate some services and/or materials to help out the community."

The group can be contacted via their website, www.hui-ilio.org.