Family fishing for a cause

by Sayble Bissen | May 21, 2019

Families arrive at the lagoon as early as 5 a.m. to reserve their spot for the Keiki Tilapia Fishing Tournament. Spots are determined on a “first come first serve basis.”

For the past 10 years, Maui Electric has partnered with Kaanapali Golf Courses to put on the annual Keiki Tilapia Fishing Tournament. What began as a fun way to raise some money for Maui United Way, has quickly grown into a much-anticipated family event.

One of the keiki participants show us his catch!

Every year more than 600 keiki ages 2 to 18 compete to catch the largest tilapia in the golf course lagoon along Kaanapali Golf Courses’ Royal Course. The top four places in each age division (2–5, 6–12, 13–18) receive prize packs that include fishing poles, gift cards, and more, all donated from local organizations who generously support this event each year.

And while the tournament only runs from 7:30–9 a.m., families are up at the crack of dawn, some there as early as 5 a.m., to reserve their prime spot around the lagoon.

But the real work starts months before, with a committee of employees that plans everything including the logistics, registering participants, recruiting volunteers, and soliciting sponsors. The committee, usually made up of about 12–15 people, meets for months to plan and execute what culminates in a two-hour event.

A special “task force” was created to ensure that there were sufficient amounts of tilapia available during the tournament.

This year, a special “task force” was created to ensure lots of fish were in the pond and ready to be caught. Hundreds of tilapia were brought in from partnering ponds and transferred to the Kaanapali lagoon. And the months of preparation paid off.

On the day of the tournament — May 11 — a horn sounded to kick off the event. Squeals of laughter could be heard as the fish began biting right away. Kids and parents alike sprinted toward the weigh stations to see if their fish was the largest catch of the day. Volunteers were at the ready to weigh the fish, pass out prizes, and to ensure a fun time was had by all.

Everyone left the tournament with a smile on their face and a memorable fishing story to share.

While just a couple dozen keiki walked away with prizes, everyone left with a smile and fishing stories to share. Not to mention, we raised over $20,000 to benefit Maui United Way. Mahalo to all those who have made this this event a huge success for the last decade — including tilapia large and small.

Watch our recap video of the 10th annual Keiki Tilapia Fishing Tournament.

Sayble Bissen is a communications specialist at Maui Electric Company.