Hawaii Community College fundraiser showcases student workforce training, draws 100 supporters

More than 100 supporters packed Hawaii Community College’s first E Imi Pono fundraiser, turning a dinner at the I Ola Nō Ke Kino Dining Room into a public display of how the college says it feeds Hawaii Island’s workforce pipeline.

Held April 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Building 382 on the Manono campus in Hilo, the event brought together community members, alumni, donors, industry partners and students in a shared dining setting that was meant to showcase more than campus hospitality. Hawaii Community College said the inaugural fundraiser was designed to support student success while highlighting the school’s role in preparing the Big Island workforce.

Chef Ryan Brannigan of Hilo Benioff Medical Center was the featured chef, working with Hawaii CC culinary arts students and faculty on a menu that blended luxury ingredients with island flavors. The dinner included A5 Kagoshima Wagyu striploin with local oyster and lion’s mane mushroom risotto, oysters on the half shell, and a sushi bar with Hokkaido uni, ikura zuke, spot prawn and blue crab. Students also helped prepare hamachi with ponzu, Korean pork lettuce wraps, lilikoi butter tarts and mini malasadas.

The event extended beyond the culinary program. Students and faculty from culinary arts, agriculture, welding, electrical installation and maintenance technologies, and carpentry all contributed, underscoring the college’s pitch that E Imi Pono was not just a fundraiser but a live demonstration of job training across multiple fields. The college said proceeds will support student scholarships, workforce training, career education programs, equipment and supplies, all of which directly affect how many students can train for local jobs and how current programs can expand.

Hawaii Community College first announced the fundraiser on March 27 as its first-ever E Imi Pono: A Celebration of Excellence. Tickets were set at $150 per person or $1,500 for a six-seat table, with tax-deductible donations available through the University of Hawaii Foundation for those unable to attend. Live music by Hālana and Harold Kama Jr. rounded out the evening.

Chancellor Susan Kazama said the event reflected the spirit of the college, including collaboration, innovation and commitment to students. For the college, the turnout of more than 100 supporters offered an early sign that a new fundraising model centered on workforce training and community return can draw both attention and backing on Hawaii Island.