RES 502 Draft 01 2024-2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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38. Project Title EXHIBIT Kona Town Night Market's Lei Day BLOOM Event 39. Project Start Date 05/02/2026 40. Project End Date 05/02/2026 41. Please select all areas of Hawai'll Island where the project will be administered, delivered, ant implemented. H�m&ua Ka'G North Hilo &WAVPII North Kona Puna South Hilo South Kohala South Kona 42. Please select the district of the Council Member from which you would like to apply for Contingency Relief Funds. The Kona Town Night Market (KTNM) is a community -centered gathering that bridges local commerce with cultural preservation. Building on the success of 2025, the May 2, 2026, KTNM Lei Day BLOOM event, publicly branded as Lei Day x BLOOM, centers on restoring May Day as Lei Day, a tradition synonymous with HawaiTs unique shared heritage. Beyond celebration, KTNM functions as a work -based learning laboratory in partnership with'Ewalu Industries, providing students with hands-on mentorship across 13 professional pathways, including marketing management, digital design, film/media, teaching, agriculture, culinary arts, medical services (nursing), sustainable hospitality, engineering, automotive, computer science, construction, and electro-mechanical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics cohorts. This integrated approach ensures that while HawaiTs cultural traditions are honored, a skilled local workforce is simultaneously being developed for the future. To safely accommodate a projected 4,200 participants and students, the request supports essential safety, accessibility, and educational infrastructure. This includes professional security services and industrial light towers to manage a projected 40% increase in attendance, as well as dedicated shaded seating for kOpuna and 'ohana to mitigate heat exposure and ensure elders can safely participate in the festivities. Cultural education remains central to the event through free lei -making and mdolelo workshops, honoring the tradition established in 1928 that recognizes the lei as a symbol of aloha. The 2026 celebration marks the inaugural step in a long-term vision to establish The BREWery Block as the permanent home of the event, creating a reliable, high -visibility hub for culture, education, and community gathering. The requested Contingency Relief Funds (CRF) provide the essential foundation for this first year, ensuring that the event remains a thriving and accessible celebration for West Hawai'i. communities and create real change. Lydia8 serves as the 501(c)(3) fiscal and mission -driven anchor for the KTNM. As an organization dedicated to cultivating transformative artistic and cultural opportunities for the w5hine of Hawaii, Lydia8 provides the leadership and legal framework necessary to mobilize community -wide change. The project is a direct extension of Lydia8s