On the night of Christmas Eve, approximately 500 children in Pālolo Valley were given new and wrapped Christmas gifts as part of a Christmas Eve Caravan put together by Aloha 1st Athletics, a local nonprofit organization focused on leadership, character development and mental health support.
The event began at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, allowing residents of Pālolo Valley Homes to come together and get in the Christmas spirit. Aloha 1st Athletics founder David Tautofi said about half the toys came from Toys for Tots, while the rest came from his organization.
It was the first Christmas gift giving event the organization held at Pālolo Valley Homes, and planning for it came with its time constraints, but "when it comes to blessing the kids, there's no timeline," Tautofi told Aloha State Daily.
Tautofi himself grew up in Pālolo Valley, where he witnessed crime such as gang activity. Football kept him out of trouble, and it also gave him a sense of identity. However, the Kaimuki High School alumnus said he tied success in the sport too closely to his happiness, and when scholarship offers didn't pour in during high school, it was detrimental to his mental health.
After beginning his collegiate career at Missouri Valley, an NAIA school, he spent his second year of college at Fresno City College, where his true breakthrough on the field happened. The Division I offers eventually came in abundance, and he chose UCLA among his 29 offers.
When school was finished, Tautofi spent much of his time giving back to his community, coaching his alma mater for five full seasons, leading the Bulldogs to an OIA Division II title in 2019.
Among the volunteers on Wednesday were a handful of college football players Tautofi works with through his sports law firm, PRISMLife. Montana running back Malae Fonoti, Montana safety Terahiti Wolfe and former Weber State linebacker Aizik Mahuka were among those handing out presents.
"The kids that I work with on the on the sports side, inviting them and their families to partake in an opportunity to experience what Christmas really is, and that experience was a blessing for the volunteers, because otherwise I would never advise for people to go up Ahe Street on a normal day," Tautofi said.
Aloha 1st Athletics is planning to hold more events on O‘ahu in the near future, particularly at public housing locations such as Kamehameha IV housing in Kalihi, Mayor Wright Homes and Kūhiō Park Terrace.
"I didn't know who was going to show up out there on the street when we did it," Tautofi said of Wednesday's event. "We took what our hearts felt we needed to do, and it also blessed the volunteers that were part of it. ... I think it planted seeds, and a lot of people said they wanted to help for next year."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
