Aloha Spirit
It’s all about giving back.
ASD’s Aloha Spirit beat covers the kama‘āina who are making a positive difference in people’s lives. This is where volunteers are heroes and non-profit leaders are Hawai‘i’s navigators. We also cover Hawai‘i’s diverse faith community, and the religions which so deeply tie the Islands together.
News
OHCRA looks to close out season strong with Molokai Hoe
Despite weather being a factor virtually the entire season, the organization's flagship race is good to go for another edition come Sunday.
Christian ShimabukuOctober 08, 2026
Adopt a book at this downtown Honolulu festival
The Books, Brews and Beats Festival started earlier this year as a passion project for Maia Mayeshiro — a Honolulu-based DJ, singer, and ʻukulele virtuoso — who wanted to bring the community together to celebrate "local business, reading and live instrumentation," she said. This Saturday, Oct. 10, attendees can visit Fort Street Mall to trade their book for another thoughtfully chosen read, while sipping single-origin coffee or ceremonial grade matcha and listening to ambient musical sounds.
Katie HellandOctober 08, 2026
Community Voices: Waikīkī Beachboys seek to restore historic koa canoe
For more than four decades, Kamoho Aliʻi, beloved traditional koa waʻa of the Waikīkī Beachboys Canoe Club has served as a physical connection to the club’s roots. The koa canoe has been in dry dock for more than two decades, but fundraising efforts to restore it are currently underway.
Kyler HoodOctober 07, 2026
Spooky season, jazz and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend
Aloha State Daily rounded up 10 ways you can spend the weekend. From a pumpkin patch visit at Waimānalo Country Farms to a craft beer event inside a hanger at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. ʻIolani Palace will also host its Kamaʻāina Sunday this weekend, which includes a kōnane tournament.
Katie HellandOctober 07, 2026
Press ‘pause’ at this upcoming event on Oʻahu’s east side
Kailua-based mindfulness coach and clinical psychologist Gaby Toloza will debut PauseFest on Oct. 24 at YWCA Kokokahi in Kāneʻohe. The family-friendly event aims to encourage participants to slow down, unplug and connect in-person through screen-free fun and activities, a collective pause and chance to shop local vendors focused on food, wellness and creativity. Toloza says come as you are.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosOctober 06, 2026
Kit Ebersbach shares how free jazz album came to life
This Renaissance man with almost 60 years of experience playing music in Hawaiʻi just released "Ala Pōʻai," a new album from Lō'ihi Records. Learn more about the places that inspired his music and the listening party taking place this week near UH Mānoa.
Katie HellandOctober 06, 2026
Stop by and say ‘aloha’ to Aloha State Daily at OnoFest & Fall Expo
Experience new food, shop with emerging brands and participate in family-friendly activities at the OnoFest & Fall Expo, slated for Oct. 17 to 18 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Plus, we are giving away free tickets to our newsletter subscribers ahead of the event.
Kady PascualOctober 06, 2026
ʻDisaster doesn't discriminate': Emergency food distributions increase due to storms
Food banks across the Islands significantly grew distributions in the wake of Hurricane Lala, Hurricane Lowell, Tropical Storm Moke and Hurricane Nolo over past months. Aloha State Daily talks with local food banks and community-led organizations seeking solutions for food insecurity in the future with the help of statewide government agencies, local farmers and producers, and volunteers.
Haley LehmanOctober 05, 2026
Hawai‘i's first Curio Collection by Hilton resort now open
You'll find Hale Hōkūala Kaua‘i within the Hōkūala Resort community in Līhu‘e. The resort is designed to be more than a place to stay, General Manager Jon Itoga told Aloha State Daily, noting, that "the goal isn't to bring something new to Kauaʻi, but to create a resort experience that honors what's already here and helps guests connect more deeply with the island, its stories and its people."
Stephanie SalmonsOctober 02, 2026
City compost program grows islandwide
Thousands of Oʻahu residents can now put food waste in their green compost carts, thanks to The City and County of Honolulu's expanded its GROW program.
Haley LehmanOctober 01, 2026
Former Congresswoman Pat Saiki dead at 96
Flags to fly at half-staff this weekend to honor the state's first Republican delegate
Michael BrestovanskyOctober 01, 2026
Bidding on this online auction benefits Native Hawaiians through college scholarships
JoNelle Sood, a Kanaka Maoli who was born, raised and resides in California, founded Ho‘omau Foundation in 2020 to provide scholarships, mentorship and networking opportunities to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students pursuing higher education. She shares more details about the organization’s fundraising silent auction that runs through Oct. 2, which is the same day as its gala in Northern California. Tickets to the event are sold out, though, sponsorship opportunities remain.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosOctober 01, 2026
'Archives change lives': Archives Month kicks off this week
The Hawaiʻi State Archive kicks off American Archives Month on Thursday with a five-week long virtual program about Waikīkī. Aloha State Daily sat down with State Archivist Adam Jansen to learn more.
Haley LehmanSeptember 29, 2026
UPDATED: Woman arrested for weekend Kailua shooting
On Sept. 28, HPD identified the alleged shooter from the Kailua Fall Festival this past weekend and also named the victim: Thomas Malone, 30, who had a decorated athletic career at Kaiser High School, where he played football, soccer and track and field. Friends and family of Malone gathered at the Kailua Target parking lot Tuesday to commemorate him with flowers, candles and memorabilia.
Michael BrestovanskySeptember 29, 2026
HCAN rings in 30 years with fundraiser, renewed future plans
Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network turns 30 this year and recently celebrated champions for children in the community and its work to provide local keiki and families what they need to succeed in the Islands at a decades-themed fundraising gala. At the event, HCAN Executive Director John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas also shared the organization’s path forward into the next decade.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 28, 2026
Filmmakers reflect on bringing Hawaiʻi to New York
The recent Pacific Island Film Festival, held in New York City, included stories filmed in Hawaiʻi, which reached audiences almost 5,000 miles from where the cameras rolled.
Katie HellandSeptember 26, 2026
Punahou School senior earns Congressional Award Gold Medal
Jessica Lee, a senior at Punahou, was awarded the highest honor presented to young people by the U.S. Congress in August for her achievement in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and leadership.
Haley LehmanSeptember 26, 2026
Kanaka Maoli author talks story at Native Books
Tori Eldridge is a Broadway dancer turned fifth-degree black belt who decided to become a novelist when she turned 50 years old. This week, she explores her latest books, which are set in Hawaiʻi, and hosts a 90-minute writing workshop as part of a stop at Native Books in Chinatown on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Katie HellandSeptember 25, 2026
Aloha Council camp on Kauaʻi damaged by Hurricane Lowell
Aloha Council CEO and Scout Executive Blake Parsons says Camp Alan Faye on the Garden Isle will be “closed for the foreseeable future.” Meanwhile, the nonprofit has partnered with local government agencies, businesses and community volunteers to clear debris and begin the remediation process. Here’s how folks can support recovery efforts and its broader Scouting mission.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 24, 2026
Vendor applications open for interim Lahaina marketplace
‘Ulu O Lele will be the first project to bring storefronts back to Lahaina's Front Street.
Stephanie SalmonsSeptember 23, 2026
Catch Aloha Festivals’ floral parade, films and snails: what to do on Oʻahu
Ready to plan the weekend? From a floral parade featuring the traditional art of pāʻū riding in Waikīkī to a showcase of Korean independent films at the Honolulu Museum of Art, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27.
Katie HellandSeptember 23, 2026
AIA Hawai‘i Book Club event to highlight climate action
Attendees can expect conversation and collaboration on climate solutions in their own backyard this Saturday, Sept. 26, at Hawaiʻi Nature Center’s Rain Shelter in Makiki. The discussion, which stems from author and climate activist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s “What If We Get It Right?,” will be led by Kirsten Oleson, who is a Climate Change Commission member with the Honolulu City and County and a professor of ecological economics at UH Mānoa.
Kelsey Kukaua MedeirosSeptember 23, 2026
Hawai‘i Realtors Charitable Foundation offering grants to residents affected by recent hurricanes
Residents statewide can apply for grants up to $1,000 to help offset the impact of hurricanes Lala and Lowell.
Stephanie SalmonsSeptember 22, 2026
Joshlyn Sand retires as Honolulu Botanical Gardens director
After 36 years with the Honolulu Botanical Gardens, Sand will retire at the end of the month.
Haley LehmanSeptember 22, 2026