In February 2006 members of Malama Hawaii Nei gathered at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park to help set up for the inaugural Laupahoehoe Music Festival. The nonprofit group presents the annual event to fund community projects and scholarships for college students who are from Laupahoehoe on the northeast coast of Hawaii island.

The stage, tents, tables, chairs, booths and sound technicians were supposed to arrive when the workers did — at noon the day before the event. Several hours passed, and although other volunteers showed up, there was no sign of the equipment or audio crew.

Finally, at 4 p.m., the stage came and was assembled. At dusk the first wooden sections for the food booths were delivered. The sound system and the rest of the materials appeared a few hours later. With floodlights on, the volunteers worked until well after midnight to ensure everything was in place.

"We were all so tired when we left, we didn’t realize how big the transformation was," recalled Jim Bunzey, the festival’s publicity coordinator. "When we came back at 7 the next morning, the park was a beautiful sight, ready to welcome some 1,100 people. It was like magic! This year we’re expecting at least 1,500 people to attend."

Now in its seventh year, the Laupahoehoe Music Festival is the brainchild of musician Braddah Smitty. As he sat on his lanai overlooking Laupahoehoe Point one day, he thought of starting a music festival to benefit the students of Laupahoehoe. He enlisted people with close ties to the community to plan and manage the event, including a mechanic, carpenter, three housewives, three Laupahoehoe School employees and a retired police officer. Thus, Malama Hawaii Nei was formed.

As in the past, this year’s festival will feature an outstanding lineup of Big Island entertainers. Among the headliners is Mark Yama­naka, who won four Na Hoku Hano­hano awards last year, including song of the year and male vocalist of the year. In the spotlight for the first time will be the Laupahoehoe School Ukulele Band and the Hono­kaa High School Jazz Band.

Food booths will be selling local favorites throughout the day such as shave ice, Spam musubi, loco moco and Thai, Filipino and Hawaiian plate lunches. Also on sale will be jewelry, handmade greeting cards, fresh flowers, potted plants and more.

Festival-goers are encouraged to stop by the Kupuna Tent and "talk story" with Laupahoehoe residents whose families have lived in the area for generations.

"Auntie Lucille Chung, Auntie Kawaihona Poy and Auntie Mona Malani will be discussing the history of Laupahoehoe and their experiences during the 1946 tsunami (see accompanying story)," Bunzey said. "They are treasures in the community who have so many stories and so much knowledge to share."

As in the past, seniors from Kamehameha Schools, which has a campus near Hilo, will assist with preparations. The day before the festival, they will paint food booths, decorate the stage, remove weeds, mow grass and cut scrub vegetation in the old cemetery at Laupahoehoe Point. Students and teachers from Laupahoehoe School will be collecting tickets at the gate, manning food booths and picking up trash.

"The festival is about aloha — getting the kids involved with community service and helping them pursue higher education so they can achieve their career goals and make meaningful contributions to society," Bunzey said. "All qualifying college-bound seniors who apply for a Malama Hawaii Nei scholarship will receive one worth between $500 and $1,500."

Applicants must write an essay explaining why they feel they deserve a scholarship. Members of Malama Hawaii Nei’s scholarship committee will interview each applicant. The committee will then decide what the monetary value of each scholarship will be, based on the student’s interview, grade point average and quality of their essay.

Students don’t need to be Native Hawaiian or attend the school to apply for a scholarship, but they should live in the school district, which also encompasses the neighboring communities of Ookala, Papaaloa and Ninole. Malama Hawaii Nei awards about 10 scholarships each year; $23,000 has been distributed thus far.

"The Laupahoehoe Music Festival is a genuine local experience that can’t be found in the big tourist areas," Bunzey said. "Over the years, we’ve tried to improve the event while maintaining its laid-back, down-home feel. It takes a lot of planning and work to put it on, but instead of just being associated with the 1946 tsunami tragedy, Laupahoehoe is now known for a fun, happy celebration that everyone can enjoy."

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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Sta-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.