LIHUE—Each year, Kauai pensioners look forward to a day of fun and camaraderie at the annual Kauai Division Pensioner Picnic. This year was no exception as 250 pensioners filled the patio of the ILWU building on Kauai. Kauai Pensioner Council president, Alfred Castillo, was pleased with the turnout.

This being an election year, the picnic brought out many ILWUendorsed candidates to speak to the crowd, including Ron Kouchi, JoAnn Yukimura, Gary Hooser, Mina Morita and others. Pensioners appreciated hearing from all the candidates and are more likely than most to turn out and vote.

But politics wasn’t the primary agenda for the pensioners. They came to the picnic for fun and fellowship—and there was plenty of fun for everyone with guessing games, lawn games, bingo, and door prizes. Seventy 20-pound bags of rice were given out and prized as treasures by the pensioners, many of whom declined help carrying their rice at the end of the day. Mostly, though, pensioners appreciated the chance to meet up with their friends, talk story, play music, and enjoy the company of others.

Kauai Division staff all pitched in to make the event a success. Kauai Women’s Committee members also volunteered to run the games. Mahalo to Pam Green, Jonarene Troutman, Diana Lopez, Doreen Kua, and Leinani Malina. Pensioner club advisors like Stanley Dotario, Ernie Domingo, and Robert Ritch also helped out throughout the day.

(Above) Gay & Robinson pensioners share a song. (Below) Kauai Women’s Committee members Diana Lopez, Pam Green, Doreen Kua, Jonarene Troutman, and Leinani Malina volunteered to run games for the pensioners.

“Golden Years,” Kauai’s tourism industry pensioners’ club, invites all Kauai ILWU hotel retirees to join them!