HISTORY OF PROJECT PURE LIGHT

In 2002, Project Pure Light was birthed as a community outreach through Kailua Community Church.  Paddlers there were looking for a way to service those with disabilities by giving them greater access to Hawaiian beaches and ocean waters using the canoe.  Heading the program were Aka Hemmings and Dr. Michi Wong who brought 50 years of combined canoe experience and a heartfelt desire to help those with disabilities in their community.

In 1999, adaptive canoe paddling began in Rochester, New York, under the guidance of Jan Whitaker, an expert canoeist.  She used the Hawaiian canoe as a recreational and rehabilitation vehicle.  From the outset, the exchange of communication, information, and adaptive equipment between the New York and Hawai’i programs has flowed freely and the development of the sport has been full of aloha. On the same morning that Project Pure Light began their program in Hawai‘i, the New York Adaptive Paddling Club conducted their blessing by pouring Hawaiian sea water into their river to symbolize the link between the two programs.

The initial plan to develop Project Pure Light in  Hawai’i was drafted in November 2001, itemizing and obtaining the required equipment, determining a suitable location, outlining the program agenda, estimating personnel needs, and recruiting and organizing volunteer staffing resources.

The first monthly Project Pure Light community event was held on June 15, 2002 at Kailua Beach Park.  This program continues today on the third Saturday of each month.  From this initial effort, an additional program has been established in Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawai’i, and a select group of the adaptive paddlers sought greater challenges, with the formation of a separate competitive crew that competes as part of the overall umbrella of Project Pure Light.