Kick Off

A dream fulfilled.

After months of planning and organizing the Kauai Portuguese Society formally re-established the organization with a kickoff event held on Sunday, October 27, 2024. It was an event created and paved with the purest of hearts and partnerships of individuals and organizations from across our beautiful island home.

As the Kauai Portuguese Society began to organize, we received overwhelming and heartwarming support. Executive Chef Mark Oyama and Chancellor Margaret Sanchez of Kauai Community College were at the forefront from the beginning and graciously invited the Kauai Portuguese Society to host our kickoff event at the KCC campus. They were also excited and eager to share the college’s authentic Portuguese oven which the talented KCC culinary department used to bake the delicious Portuguese rolls known as Pao Duce.

The Kauai Portuguese Society was so honored to welcome our local Kauai residents and guests from the State and outer-island Portuguese organizations who came to celebrate this special event and savor in the delicious Portuguese soup, pickled onions known as cebolas cortidas and pao duce.

Lenny Rapozo’s historical photographs of former Kauai sugar plantations and localities captured a sense of place and time of how our ancestors lived before us. We were fortunate to have one of our Advisory Board members assist with the displays which included information on the ships that transported our ancestors in search of a new life from mainland Portugal and the Azores to Hawaii, known then as The Kingdom of Hawaii. The smiles, expressions of joy and memories shared by guests in attendance who could describe their experiences of a period in time that has gone by was simply priceless.

We would be remised if we did not acknowledge Alice Arruda, whose foresight and aspirations to re-establish the Kauai Portuguese Society came to fruition. We know she was smiling down on us from heaven to see it happen.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the numerous volunteers for all their support and to our guests who came to celebrate the re-established KPS kickoff  event with us. Obrigado for creating a beautiful day.