300 Pounds of Rice Donated to Lanakila Pacific (KITV4)

300 Pounds of Rice Donated to Lanakila Pacific (KITV4)

Original Story: http://www.kitv.com/story/33740326/300-pounds-of-rice-donated-to-lanakila-pacific

By Brandi Higa

A special delivery today to the Lanakila Pacific facility in Liliha. Chef Andy Dalan of Uber Factory in Wahiawa, Rice Fest Founder Ed Sugimoto, and KITV’s Brandi Higa teamed up to donate 300 pounds of rice to the facility.

Brandi Higa, Ed Sugimoto & Chef Andy Dalan
KITV’s Brandi Higa, Rice Fest’s Ed Sugimoto & Uber Factory’s Chef Andy Dalan and their 300 pounds of donate brown rice.

The rice will go toward feeding thousands of kupuna and people with disabilities. ” We feed about 2,000 people per day and that takes two hundred pounds of rice,” said Lori Lau, Lanakila Meals on Wheels Director.

Lau added, “The holidays are a really important time for us. Many of our kupuna don’t have anyone to spend the holidays with. So we’re actually gearing up for our Thanksgiving holiday meal service and then looking forward to our Christmas holiday meal service as well”.

Today’s rice donation was part of a prize won by Chef Andy Dalan and KITV’s Brandi Higa as winners of the 2016 Rice Fest “Rice-ipe” Challenge. Instead of accepting that prize they chose to donate it in its entirety. But so much more is needed to help Hawaii’s disabled and aging population through Lanakila.

“There are opportunities for people to volunteer their time, there’s opportunities for people to give monetary donations if they so choose, and we also have ways for people to interact and do other things with our participants.” said Lori Lau.

Lanakila Pacific is a non-profit organization that builds independence for thousands of people living challenged lives. It offers programs and services that enable adults with disabilities, ranging from cognitive, physical and age-related challenges, to reach their goals and potential, while building independence and promoting community inclusion.

To find out more or to donate, head to https://www.lanakilapacific.org/donate/