Manoa church holds reopening festivities

Manoa Valley Church, an affiliate of the United Church of Christ, will host a grand reopening and blessing ceremony for its renovated educational-gym complex from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 8, featuring a free "open house" for the public.

A special worship service at 9 a.m. will be followed by the blessing, speakers, and guided tours of the newly renovated Hiro Higuchi Christian Life Center.

Entertainment will include a taiko drum performance, hula and ballroom dance. There will be live music, pony rides, a bouncer for keiki, pet blessings, face painting, temporary tattoo painting, lunch, shave ice and more.

The church, which opened in 1946, is located at 2728 Huapala St., across from Manoa Marketplace.

In January 2013, construction began on the $1.9 million renovation of the educational-gym complex, which was built in 1967. The project included improvements to the preschool, after-school care and Sunday School classrooms and restroom/toilet facilities, and the installation of an elevator to the second floor, among other things. New staff offices, a large multi-purpose activity room, meeting rooms, shower facilities and ADA-compliant restrooms were also constructed.

Major grants came from the Atherton Family Foundation, Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, Cooke Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank Foundation, Island Insurance Foundation, Kosasa Foundation/ABC Stores, Ronald K. and Lella E. Migita Foundation, and Foodland’s Give Aloha program.

Visit www.manoavalleychurch.org or call 988-3271.