MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- As a way to welcome and inform new arrivals and their families to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, the Commander’s Community Aloha Fair and Information Forum was held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kahuna’s Community Ballroom, Sept 13.
The event was coordinated and held by Marine Corps Community Services, whose main goal for this fair was to give newcomers to the base the opportunity to see what kind of services and activities are available to them. It also gave them the opportunity to meet key staff personnel of the base, as well as the key personnel of MCCS, said Marcia Kolton, acting marketing director, MCCS.
“This gives the people on base the chance to gain information and ask questions,” said the Brockton, Mass. native. “We always get good feedback from the community who come to these kinds of events.”
According to Kolton, this particular Aloha fair took several months to plan, and is actually a combination of two different fairs that would usually take place aboard the base.
In January, Brig. Gen. George J. Trautman, former commanding general of K-Bay, held a Commanding General’s Information Forum. It was later decided to combine the forum with the Aloha Fair in order to strengthen the intended missions of both events.
Having the base commander and his staff present offered base residents the opportunity to interact with base leadership and program heads in a casual setting to gain information and voice concerns about installation programs and services. More than 300 people attended the first event.
“This fair is really a combination of key military staff on base, combined with the community personnel,” said Kolton. “Combining the two is a really good move seeing how it benefits the whole base. Everyone is here to give information and help each other out.”
The event offered a variety of stations that included local businesses, nonprofit organizations and key staff representatives, said Kolton. Light refreshments were served throughout the evening and local businesses donated door prizes for visitor.
Emphasis for the event was placed on the personal communication between the base residents and the service providers.
“This was a first time attending something like this for me and my family,” said Ensign Marc Tinaz, officer-in-charge, Waterfront Operations. “I think what had a major impact for me was the diversity of all the represented communities. The event also provided me with a lot of information and available services that I was not even aware were available on base.”
According to MCCS, this is going to be a biannual event; however, no date has been set for the next fair.
“We love to have newcomers attend events like these,” said Kolton. “But it is just as important to get the attendance of people who have been here awhile. The event can provide new information to anyone.”