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2008 Kokua Festival - The Ultimate Green Experience
05/06/08
Jennifer Cherock, VP, Planning Services
 Aloha from Hawaii! It is SO good to be back. It's been six years since I lived on the island and being here just
brings back so many wonderful memories! Funny how it can seem like a lifetime ago and just like yesterday
all in the same breath. One of the highlights from this trip - aside from the enticing ocean waters and beaches,
the phenomenal helicopter tours, the breathtaking sailing charters, the sweet horse back riding trails,
the unbelievable snorkel/dive trips, and of course the overall Aloha spirit was by far the
2008 Kokua Festival.
Singer Jack Johnson, who is a native of the North Shore on Oahu, came up with the idea for this two-day
music and environmental awareness festival as a way to benefit the Kokua
Hawaii Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports environmental
If you haven't heard of this event, it takes place every year on or around Earth Day. It rocks!
education for children in the schools and communities of Hawaii. Jack's even got a catchy little song
that he wrote for the children called "The 3 Rs" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and I must admit, seeing him
and my all-time favorite, Dave Matthews, belt out the kid-friendly tune made me want to take heed in
their call to action even more!
The trip was initially planned around the Kokua Festival and the opportunity to see Dave perform
with brilliant guitarist, Tim Reynolds. Seeing Jack Johnson again was an added bonus, along with
another one of my new favorites, Hawaiian singer, Paula Fuga. I knew about the "green" theme and figured
they'd have some recycle bins out and give a couple shout outs to Mother Nature and that would be it. Boy was
I mistaken because this truly was a green experience created to promote environmental action, to provide
education, and evoke environmentally conscious minds in each and every one of the attendees.
From my point of view, it was interesting not only to become more educated in the environmental
friendliness and sustainability aspect of it, but to also witness how they incorporated their messages
into the actual planning of the event. As most event planners will tell you, it's hard to go to events
without critiquing, gathering ideas, etc. So to see how they combined their mission with the event
logistics was an experience in itself.
Almost nothing was wasted at this event. Recyclable bottles were collected and later turned in for cash
that will benefit the charity. Water stations were spread throughout to encourage people to fill up
their bottles for free rather than buying more water bottles. All of the disposable utensils, plates
and cups were biodegradable. Leftover food was kept and will be used for food at local pig farms.
Other eco-friendly ideas included having volunteers at every trash station to ensure that the rubbish
was being placed in the appropriate bins, and encouraging guests to walk, bike or carpool to the event.
They also had the pathways to the amphitheater filled with environmental educators, art stations with
recycled materials (shells, old records, paper, etc) and organic food vendors.
All in all, it was a beautiful two-day event (especially when you have great seats for both days; and yes, I'm pretty
sure that Dave winked at me a few times). Again, not just because of the amazing performances and
inspirational message, but also because it taught me so much about how to create my own environmentally-sound
events. Speaking of which, please be sure to join us next month for the next Nonprofit Nook workshop!
We'll be discussing how you too can find ways to develop green events and join the millions of other people
who are dedicated to protecting our environment.
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