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Triathletes making a difference: Ironman Hawaii team feeds local community members in need

Since last July program has served 35,000 meals

Photo by: courtesy Ironman

The local team that puts on the Ironman World Championship every year has started a program called Kahiau Together, which has served over 35,000 meals to those affected by the pandemic on the Big Island of Hawaii since it started last July.

Kahiau is a Hawaiian word that means “give generously or lavishly from the heart while not expecting anything in return.” (Efficient language, Hawaiian – that’s a lot of meaning in one word!) As the team at the Ironman office in Kona saw the impact that the pandemic was having on the very people who make the world championship possible every year – the volunteers – they were “inspired to take action, creating Kahiau Together, an aid station and drive-through food distribution effort to feed as many members of the community as possible.”

The Ironman Foundation has donated $1 million to the program.

Triathletes Making a Difference: Putting on races during the pandemic

“With the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has caused around the globe and locally in Hawaii, all of us at Ironman are reminded of the importance of taking care of our ohana when times are tough,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship Events for The Ironman Group in a press release distributed by the company today. “The people of Hawaii are resilient and we want our ohana locally to know we are still here to support the community through Kahiau Together. With this program, we will be distributing food sourced from local producers every month, doing what is right, sharing with others. Not only is our community being fed, our local farmers, fishermen and ranchers are benefitting too. We will all endure the impacts of the pandemic together, as well as take a step back to reflect and be grateful for what we have, and how we are able to lift others up during challenging times.”

You can find out more about the program here.