O‘ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs accepting entries for The Prince Kūhiō Legacy Contest
Encouraging Island ‘Ōpio (Youth) to Celebrate the Life and Contributions of Prince Kūhiō
Hawai`i’s youth from ages 5 to 18 are being invited to submit entries to the Prince Kūhiō Legacy Contest, a mixed-media competition to raise awareness and understanding of the work and life of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana`ole Pi`ikoi.
The O`ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs is sponsoring the competition, in collaboration with the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the Hawai`i Tourism Authority and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
“The purpose of the competition is to invite our island young people to learn about all of the good work that Prince Kūhiō has done, not just for native Hawaiians but for all the people of Hawai`i,” says Ruby Maunakea, chairperson of the contest.
She says the contest formerly was limited to essay submittals, but this year, participants will be able to submit an essay, poetry or mele (songs), or artwork (pencil or paint media).
Prizes are $100 for 1st Place, $50 for 2nd Place, and $25 for 3rd Place. There will also be five Honorable Mentions. In addition, the first place winner’s mele entry will receive musical accompaniment produced by Angela Morales of Nā Leo, who will also serve on the judging committee.
All winners will be notified by Thursday, March 24 and will be invited to participate in the Kūhiō Day Commemorative Parade on Saturday, March 26, and recognized at Kapi‘olani Park during the Ho’ike’ike Festival, which concludes the month-long Prince Kūhiō Celebration the same day.
The deadline for submittal of entries is Wednesday, March 16 by 4:30 p.m. Entry information such as rules, eligibility and drop off locations can be obtained from the websites of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs – www.aohcc.org – or the O`ahu Council’s website – www.mokuokakuhihewa.org, or via e-mail, anakehiohio@yahoo.com.
Prince Kūhiō is well-known and revered for his efforts to ensure that lands were preserved for the use and homesteading of native Hawaiians, says Maunakea. He was the first native Hawaiian delegate to serve in the United States Congress, and authored the Hawaiian Home Lands Act. The civic clubs also honor him as the founder of the Hawaiian Civic Clubs, establishing the first civic club in Honolulu in 1918.
