VIDEO, PHOTOS: Food Donations & Fun at KapohoKine Adventures’ Kama‘ãina Days

This Memorial Day weekend in Hilo was about giving back as KapohoKine Adventures brought the community together for free ziplining and family activities.

More than 400 kama‘āina enjoyed free ziplining and 680 canned food donations were collected.

Eastside communities continue to deal with the fallout from last year’s heightened lava eruption.

KapohoKine Adventures hosted Kama‘ãina Days over Memorial Day weekend to recognize this continuing issue. The plan was to take the first 100 local residents in line on Saturday and Sunday on the Zipline Through Paradise eight-line course that includes the island’s longest riding tandem line at 2,400 feet.

Instead of turning anyone away, KapohoKine Adventures took everyone who turned out, a total of 442 kamaaina over two days. Hundreds more also took part in free family-fun activities including bouncy houses, waterslide, coconut tree climbing and family games.

KapohoKine Adventures also put out the call for those who could, to donate a non-perishable food item. A whopping 680 cans of food were collected, which KapohoKine Adventures transported to The Food Basket to help support the basic needs of local communities.

“Many of our local families are still dealing with personal and financial hardships from last year’s infamous eruption, and we felt strongly about doing something to help put a smile on some faces,” said Tony DeLellis, co-owner of KapohoKine Adventures. “We hope this small gesture provided a welcome reprieve from the daily stress our east side communities continue to face.”