Ko Olina, O‘ahu–November 12, 2025–On Saturday, November 22, Ko Olina Resort will mark its 26th Annual Thanksgiving Outreach, a cherished island tradition that brings together more than 100 resort employees, culinary students, and community partners to prepare and distribute 4,000 complete Thanksgiving meals to families and individuals throughout West O‘ahu.

What began in 1999 with just 1,000 meals has become a powerful demonstration of aloha and community spirit. Today, volunteers from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa; Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu; Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club; Beach Villas at Ko Olina; and Ko Olina Marina come together to cook, package, and hand-deliver meals—including turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pie—to 25 churches, shelters, and veterans’ organizations from Waiʻanae to Waipahu.

“This outreach is more than a meal—it’s about gratitude, connection, and the true meaning of community,” said Sweetie Nelson, director of destination marketing for Ko Olina Resort. “For 26 years, our Ko Olina ʻohana has come together with neighbors and friends to share aloha and provide west side families the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. That spirit of giving and togetherness is what defines Thanksgiving for us.”

Longtime community partners UPS and Leeward Community College’s Culinary Arts Program have supported the initiative since its inception. LCC culinary students prepare more than 2,700 pounds of turkey, while UPS drivers spend their day off delivering over 500 trays of food to outreach sites including the Waiʻanae Boat Harbor and Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae, Boys & Girls Club Waiʻanae, U.S. Vets of Kalaeloa, and Lighthouse Outreach Center in Waipahu.

A Legacy of Giving

Each year, Ko Olina’s Thanksgiving Outreach extends beyond the resort’s lagoons to touch the lives of thousands—kupuna, keiki, and families experiencing hardship. The initiative is part of Ko Olina Resort’s broader commitment to the Leeward Coast, supporting education, youth programs, and workforce development by collaborating with organizations such as the Hawaiian Council, Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Wai‘anae High School’s Searider Productions, Nānākuli High & Intermediate School, Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi, Malama Learning Center, Hale Kipa, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i.

Meal Distribution Partners and Locations: 

Waiʻanae / Mākaha

• Waiʻanae Assembly of God

• First Assembly of God 

• Waiʻanae Boat Harbor & Puʻuhonua O Waiʻanae

• Paiʻolu Kaiʻāulu Transitional Housing

• Boys & Girls Club Waiʻanae

• ʻOhana Ola

• Hale Wai Vista / Ark of Safety

• Kauhale Kamaile

• Kulia I Ka Nuu

• Sewers Beach Park / Middle Park / Pokaʻi Bay

• Peneli Assembly of God

Maʻili / Nānākuli

• Maʻili Bridge / Community Park

• City of Joy

• Tracks to Black Rocks (Nānākuli Beach)

Kapolei

• Hale Moena

• Kumuhonua Transitional Shelter

• U.S. Vets of Kalaeloa

• Kapolei Regional Park

• Coral Crater Adventure Park

ʻEwa / Waipahu

• Calvary Chapel ʻEwa

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church

• West Loch Elderly Village

• Boys & Girls Club Hale Pono ʻEwa Beach Clubhouse

• Lighthouse Outreach Center

• Waipahu United Church of Christ

About Ko Olina Resort

Ko Olina is a 642-acre resort community on the western shore of O‘ahu. Resort partners include Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina, Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, Beach Villas at Ko Olina, Ko Olina Golf Club, Ko Olina Marina, and the Ko Olina Station and Ko Olina Center retail hub. The resort, known as O‘ahu’s premier vacation destination, also features four pristine oceanfront lagoons connected by 1 ½ miles of shoreline pathways, access to a diverse selection of ocean and outdoor activities, and the island’s best weather. For more information, visit https://koolina.com/

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MEDIA CONTACT

Cassie Kim | cassie@sheiladonnelly.com