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2006
HARAI FAMILY REUNION
Hello Harai family members,
This is the first letter to you from the steering committee regarding this year’s family reunion. There is still a lot of planning to do and information that need to be exchanged before the reunion, but the key information that we wanted to get out to everyone as early as possible was the dates and the location so people can make reservations while there are still apartments to be rented. With those considerations in mind, we have made the following selections:
Dates: June 30, July 1 and 2, 2006. If anyone is interested in extending informal reunion activities beyond that date, let us know and we can do some pre-planning.
Place: The Castle Kona Reef, a 130 room oceanfront condominium development located at: 75-5888 Alii Drive, Kailua, Kona, 96740. This condominium development is located very close to the Royal Kona Resort (formerly the Kona Hilton). Phone number for the Castle Kona Reef is 808-329-2959. For those booking package tours from the mainland, Expedia lists it on their package tours along with information and photos.
 | Unit availability: the Kona Reef has mostly 1-bedroom units with kitchens available during this time period. Units can be rented through the main condominium association number listed above or through Sunquest at 800-367-5168 or as mentioned above, through package tours. As of 1-6-06, the Kona Reef Association had twenty (20) 1-bedroom oceanfront ($215), one (1) 2-bedroom oceanfront ($295), twenty-one 1-bedroom oceanview ($185), and ten standard units ($165). Availability at Sunquest was not checked. Since this is the week of the 4th of July, we suggest booking your suites as soon as possible. One-bedroom units have pull-out couches or futons and will sleep 4. |
| Amenities: Pool, jet spa whirlpool, sundeck, cabana and four gas grills. The Kona Reef is only about a ten minute walk from the shopping, churches, restaurants and museums in Kailua. Also, photo shows a lagoon-type area for snorkeling or shore fishing. |
The steering committee currently consists of the following individuals:
| Donna Lim, chairperson Hilo, HI E-mail: LIM002@hawaii.rr.com |
| Jim Harai, Jr. Tacoma, WA E-mail: judomanz@yahoo.com |
| Norman Harai Phoenix, AZ E-mail: nharai@cox.net |
As the planning effort goes on, the steering committee will be asking for volunteers or sometimes “volunteering and then asking people” to help with the final phases of planning and actually getting the preparations ready. For those of you who have attended any of the past four reunions, you are familiar with the hosting of a lunch or breakfast. For those who have not attended before, there is nothing to be intimidated by this since with so many families, it can simply be “Yamada family – breakfast on July 1st” for example. We will also need help in developing activities options and group leaders whether it’s for golfing, fishing, snorkeling, sight seeing, shopping, etc.
As the planning effort goes on, the steering committee will be asking for volunteers or sometimes “volunteering and then asking people” to help with the final phases of planning and actually getting the preparations ready. For those of you who have attended any of the past four reunions, you are familiar with the hosting of a lunch or breakfast. For those who have not attended before, there is nothing to be intimidated by this since with so many families, it can simply be “Yamada family – breakfast on July 1st” for example. We will also need help in developing activities options and group leaders whether it’s for golfing, fishing, snorkeling, sight seeing, shopping, etc.
In the past, we have had reunion shirts printed and we will have details forthcoming. Since we will need to have them made up, we will need advance orders and purchases so an order form will be mailed or e-mailed to you in the next few weeks.
At past reunions, an enjoyable event was the family banquet and talent show. The Harai family was shown to have loads of talent that were featured and some that we know about that were not featured. We also have had three more years to add to the talent pool so we will be looking to all the families to share with the rest. It was noted above, that the Kona Reef does not have a banquet room, but we have made reservations for the banquet room at Teshima’s a local restaurant in Honalo for Saturday, July 1st. Costs of the banquet are $21/person 11 years old or older, $10.50 for those from 4-11 years old and free for those under 4 years of age. Banquet will last from 5 PM to 9PM. Food costs for lunches and breakfasts in addition to the banquet is estimated at $80 for those above 17 years of age and $50 for those from 5-16 and $0 for those under 5 years.
Since we are in the planning mode still, please send us suggestions on what you might want to have happen at the reunion. We are looking forward to seeing again those that have attended previous reunions, but we would also like to encourage those of you who have not attended before, to consider attending. There will be lots of activities for all ages that will be planned and lots happening in Kona during the 4th of July week as well. So make plans to come.
Another way of keeping abreast of things happening in the planning process and also to see photos of past reunions and archival photos of the Harai family is to check in to the website maintained by Kerry Hanson (Yamada) titled www.haraifamily.com. Thanks again to Kerry for putting in the work to keep the website up and running. Kerry can also be located at E-mail: Kerry@haraifamily.com
So until our next communication, aloha, stay well, be happy and have a great year.
Donna, Jim and Norm