Dear cookie monsters, grunts, greeters and all who help to keep the EKK running so smoothly

I just need to thank you all for doing such a stupendous job of getting everything set up and running so smoothly from beginning to end at EKK. Storm or sunshine, you are always there.

It was such a downpour last night I could not get home until midnight and had to leave everything in my truck because it was pouring buckets. I got some of the paper work done by 2 am and could crawl into my bed and listen to the rain outside.

As I lay there, I had to reflect on the first 15 - 20 years of this program where I was shlepping all this stuff to and from whatever space we happened to be in and just jumping for joy if I got $100 worth of donations to partially cover the cost of the song sheets.

It was heartwarming that Mom and Pop Matheus was there every week so loyally to greet folks and pass out the song sheets, that Cindy Combs weekly hauled her sound system to Lihue and then Brian and Barney taking over with a sophisticated sound system and video cameras, and that Fran puts so much effort into making those gorgeous leis every week to make our visitors feel so welcome, that Carol Dick from the mainland volunteered to get photos, that Anne O'Malley volunteers her excellent writing/photo abilities to make sure everyone knows what is coming up each week, that Carrie keeps our website so current that far away folks know what is going on before they come, that I have so many loyal helpers there each week to help unload and load up my truck, and that we now have enough money to pay for a parking attendant who is so nice that the participants have to mention it to me, and now I have this super group of smart business-thinking people with big hearts who know how to make folks open their wallets and to deal with the weekly refreshments and CD sales and tee shirts that I no longer have to load and unload by myself. I am grateful that I have brothers who cook enough food so I can sometimes have my talents fed there when most food places are shut down, and that I now have Lisa to help me deal with the huge left-brain task of keeping track of data which is enough to shut my whole brain down.

I am ever grateful that Nathan, Lee, Cindy and Fran who believed in the program so much to keep it alive during the years with little or no money. And now I am thankful that the HTA and the County and Island School are helping to support what we believe in so we no longer have to scrounge around from week to week to make sure we can honor the super talents that make our programs so special. I appreciate the extra generous donations that help to tide over some of the extra events.

EKK has for many years been Kaua'i's little hidden secret, but now it is something that is hard to keep under wraps; folks from all over the planet are finding us and saying this is the highlight of their trip....so my hats off to all of you for helping to keep this wonderful program alive.

Carol Yotsuda