When we started this tour of the entire United States, I think we were all thinking the same thing: Since we were going to all 50 states, that meant that we would one day go to Hawaii! And that is exactly what we did. Ty, Michael, Ed, Paul, Eduardo and I headed over the Pacific. What a great way to start our fifth season of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition… in America's paradise.
What most people don't realize is that actually living in Hawaii is extremely difficult, very expensive and incredibly challenging. There are so many people there who need help. And that's exactly how the Akana family is — in need of help, yet they have done so much to help other Hawaiian families… over 9,000 to be exact!
Several years ago, the Akana family started Keiki O Ka 'Aina (or KOKA), a nonprofit organization that helps build strong families by focusing on education and community. They started this organization out of their own living room, and even when they fell on hard times, they never stopped helping others. All the while, their own home was literally falling into the river behind them. We knew we needed to help!
So where do you send a family for vacation when they already live in paradise? Somewhere with (and something) that they've never seen before: snow! And while they were enjoying the glaciers, we got to work on the biggest endeavor we've ever attempted: a home for the Akana family and a community center for KOKA. We had our hands full!
While everyone thought we were lying in the sun and relaxing in paradise, we were facing some of the most difficult challenges we've ever had. When you build a house on the mainland, getting materials is easy. When you are thousands of miles across the Pacific from the mainland, getting materials creates a challenge. Even getting the help to build the structures was difficult. We used the local news and radio to let Hawaii know we needed help.
Jeff Prostor and the rest of the crew at Brookfield Homes were amazing. These guys worked so hard to get the structures done. Their workers would finish a trade on one structure and head on over to the next to get that done — most of the time after working for 24 hours or more. We didn't think we were going to make it on time.
Not only was it hard to get materials and help to build the house, the conditions were difficult as well. With the rain coming down every 10 minutes, we were never really able to dry up. We were in mud up to our ankles the entire time! Sometimes I would just stand and look out over the lush landscape and the beauty would take my breath away. Then I would look down and realize that I was covered in bug bites and mud. Back to work.
My project this week was taking care of 12-year-old Kuulei. She loves animals, like myself, and loves pink — I can definitely relate. Plus, Kuulei changed my life. How, you ask? Well, she told me that several years ago (when she was only 8 years old), she told her parents that she was going to be a vegetarian since she loved animals so much. Now I'm a meat-eater who loves a good, juicy steak, but I told her that while she was gone, I would also be a vegetarian. At first it was difficult, but after a couple of days it became easier and easier. When she came back, I gave her a full report of my vegetarianness. She was proud of me and asked me if I was going to go back to my old ways. I thought about it for a while, and told her no. I loved the way I felt and decided to be a vegetarian full time. That was three months ago, and I'm still going strong! All because I was so impressed with the virtues of a 12-year-old girl.
The Akana family has done so much to change the lives of over 9,000 families over the years, and I know that they will use this new community center to change thousands more for generations to come. As for me? I can definitely say that the Akana family has changed my life as well.
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