Folks in Puna are banding together to help heal a local surfer, as well as the community, after the 16-year-old was attacked by a shark at Pohoiki Boat Ramp last month.
Folks in Puna are banding together to help heal a local surfer, as well as the community, after the 16-year-old was attacked by a shark at Pohoiki Boat Ramp last month.
Ida Smith, a longtime resident on Pohoiki Bay, said this week that she and other community members are planning a fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 5, to help Jimmy Ulualoha “Ulu Boy” Napeahi and his family with their medical bills after he was bitten repeatedly by a shark while surfing in the “Dead Trees” area near the boat ramp.
“It was such a heavy burden to watch the negativity down there. It’s just like somebody turned the faucet off,” she said of the public reaction after the incident. Fewer surfers now frequent the area, and the once lively recreation spot has a dark cloud hanging over it, she said.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the event will run all day “until the food runs out.” There will be plenty of music, games for the keiki, and other entertainment, as well as kalua pig and cabbage, hot rice, and other staples of Hawaiian parties. Attendees will be asked to make small donations for plate lunches and drinks to help the Napeahi family.
For more information, contact Ida Smith at 640-0968.