Hawaiian Shave Ice is BACK!!

It has been a minute since we've done anything as Heimana Production WA. The group has definitely changed as our keiki have grown into beautiful adults with their own lives and hearts, chasing their own dreams and interests. Some have children of their own while others have actually gone on to join our ancestors on the other side. Some were lost and are now found and at rest. Some find themselves while we, their elders, cheer them on and work to support their efforts. No matter where they are ... they are still ours and we love them so much. 

What started out as a fundraiser to get us to Hawaii has continued as a family tradition, an annual reunion where our hula is rekindled and the community lines up to get their year's fix of Hawaiian Shave Ice. It is literally a mom & pop operation that only sees one, maybe two events every year. We were forced to take a break in 2020 and 2021. It was weird! There was no chaos!! We tossed bean bags into cornholes with our children: the loser did pushups. We soaked in inflatable pools and barbecued in our own yards. Our home holds 11 souls so it didn't really feel like quarantine until we left the house. We were lucky that everyone we needed to see already lived under one roof. 

Now as we come out from under our masks, our favorite small town event, Steilacoom's 4th of July Street Fair, is back!  Let's go TWENTY TWENTY TWOOOOO!! 

MAHALO NUI LOA Sparks Grant 2015 for helping us to SHARE OUR ALOHA!

Sharing Our Aloha thanks to the kind people at Greater Tacoma Community Foundation!
And so it began on Friday, April 17, 2015! We started quiet with a few returnees, a couple of younger siblings and one friend pretty much as a dry run for our schedules and routines right before we opened the door.  I posted this flier on my FB page and I believe we will be a little crowded from this week on.  I am super excited to be able to offer this to the community though.  (silent roar! lol)
The flier says enrollment deadline was on May 8th, last week Friday.  We are extending that deadline to June 5th.  Our family will be out of town for a graduation that week so class will resume on Friday, June 12th.  This session will end on Friday, July 3rd with performance the next day, Saturday, July 4th on a parade float at the Town of Steilacoom 4th of July parade. 

Huaka'i a Oahu Hawai'i 2011

MAHALO NUI LOA to all of you supporters and well wishers for our 3+ year old Huaka'i a Hawai'i . . . They held on to the vision of connecting with their hula, their siva, their meke, their haka. That connection needed to made on an intimate level, a level that could only be experienced firsthand.
We were not there to compete . . . Our cause to connect was accomplished physically and spiritually. Friendships strengthened and teamwork heightened as only a halau can, as only haumana can: to eat together, to work together, to get reprimanded together (lol), to understand nature and its beauties together, to practice hula together. I had to choose from almost 1,000 pictures to share in this forum ... hope you enjoy and again... Thank you for giving us such a beautiful week! the lady chaperones minus Aunty Tina Piilani, Lainie and Kira (lol)...
The men chaperones (bless their hearts) minus Uncle Ron ...

Hale O Napokahu was a blessing.

Hukilau Beach was literally, our backyard. Day one's breakfast: Samoan koko alaisa (Samoan cocoa rice), Samoan bread, Masi Samoa and bananas from the plantation.Day One was ended with a few of us at the LDS temple in Laie, either doing a session or touring the grounds ... Day Two was spent on the North Side of the island, starting with a special tour of Waimea Valley Botanical Garden. This tour is unprecedented in nature as Waimea is still in process of bringing hula back into the valley. Our humble expert, Buddy, represented our group with an oli chant for permission to enter the valley as protocol requires a halau to do so. Nature responded.
Without any exaggeration, nature responded and a connection was made. Our children heard and felt the stories behind each plant, behind each preserved habitat, behind each endangered phyla/species, behind each sacred spot. Its scientific place in the eco-system supported each story as well. We were blessed to experience all of this over 4 hour period of time. Each night ended with music and prayer ... visiting our hale to bless us with their musical talents, Josh Moea'i and the Siaosi's (Uiti, Lehua and Pono)

Still raising money :)

MAHALO, WINGER'S on Tacoma Mall Blvd for letting us come back on Saturday, March 19th and TAKE OVER the restaurant to raise some more money for our Huaka'i Hawaii this August! Energy was high, the kids were bussing tables, moms and unko don were washing dishes ... a well-oiled machine, I tell ya! The girls danced on the 15's: 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, ... with so much support from teachers, coworkers, bus drivers, neighbors, family and friends. Thank you Thank you Thank you from the bottom of our sore feet to the top of our heads...

We have one more take-over to go so please, help us spread the word :)

Heimana's Last Restaurant TAKE OVER

at WINGER'S
on Tacoma Mall Blvd.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23RD

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Let them know we sent ya :)

Eat well!

Feed the Hula Tip Bucket
Bring everyone you know!
The kids dance on the 15's ... so bring your cheering section too :)

One of the primary purposes of this group is to expose our students to culturally vibrant performances at low and no cost. When the opportunity to attend a performance by Living Legends came up, we found it fitting to sponsor our current students in attending a show at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia on Thursday, February 3, 2011. The students of BYU Provo set a high performance standard in an authentic presentation that ties the Polynesian culture to that of our Latin and Native American brothers and sisters. With 30+ of our group in attendance, we look forward to the experience and to reporting its influence on our performances this year. My hopes are that my students look to furthering their education in the well-rounded way Living Legends dancers are.

A hui ho!

October's Fundraisers could use your kokua

Our fundraiser chair has gone mad!

Sat, Oct 16th - BAKE SALE at Lakewood Walmart: 9am-5pm

• They ... let us stand outside of their store with our cause, our baked goods and our pineapple bank.
• We ... will be there from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, rain or shine.
• it's now up to YOU ... please come and spread the word k? yay!

Sat, Oct 23rd - CAR WASH at Classy Chassis on 72nd Street in Lakewood: 9am-1pm

• They ... kindly let us take over one of their bays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• We ... are special car wash agents that'll do what we have to, rain or shine, to earn your generosity.
• YOU ... have between now and then to not wash your car! just think: it's for a good cause... it's for a good cause ... it's for a good cause

Ho'olaulea at Chief Leschi, Sat 10/2 at 1:45pm

The "Power 6" ... Ravin Ward, Taylor Stowers, Devin Toa, Hope Stowers, Azia Serrano, Chrissy Lyons with Unko Don Yoder on the ukulele!... Thank you for cheering them on as they represented our community at Lokahi Foundation's Annual Ho'olaulea at Chief Leschi in Puyallup...

Our information booth did well in helping our huaka'i to Hawaii ... it got the word out and for that we are extremely grateful.

Special MAHALO's to our Auntie Pueo for her kokua in coordinating the whole function and her time and love ... Me ke aloha pumehana ...

Most importantly, the girls fed off of the cheerleaders in the stands... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT... A HUI HO!!!