HAWAII’S TIMESHARE INDUSTRY DONATES $4,000 TO MĀLAMA HULĒʻIA

HONOLULU (July 31, 2023) – The Hawaii Chapter of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), which represents the timeshare industry in Hawaii, recently donated $4,000 to Mālama Hulēʻia. 

“ARDA-Hawaii is committed to supporting community-based non-profit organizations that enhance the visitor experience,” said Mitchell A. Imanaka, ARDA-Hawaii Chairman and managing principal of Imanaka Asato LLLC. “Mālama Hulēʻia is doing great work that not only preserves culturally important resources but also provides visitors an opportunity to participate through hands-on learning.” 

Established in 2015, Mālama Hulēʻia is a conservation, education and cultural organization that operates the 600-year-old Alakoko Fishpond in Niumalu on east Kauaʻi. The non-profit also leads the community effort to remove invasive red mangrove from the Hulēʻia watershed. More than 3,000 Kaua’i students from around the island visited the pond in 2022 for outdoor education classes that included cultural, science, environment and related learning experiences. 

Additionally, monthly community work days bring hundreds of island residents and visitors to the pond to participate in its restoration and maintenance and to learn about the history of the area.

ARDA-Hawaii is the local chapter of the American Resort Development Association, the national timeshare trade association. Hawaii’s timeshare units account for 13 percent of the state’s visitor lodging inventory and thousands of jobs. The organization is committed to supporting the communities in which its resorts are located through organized events, monetary and in-kind donations, and volunteerism. For more information, visit www.ARDA.org.