February 28, 2026 – Genki Ball Make + Toss Event
The Hawaii Kai Lions, Koko Head Lions, Kaiser High School Leos and guests met at the Waikiki Community Center to participate in the Genki Ball Make + Toss event. After a short presentation by the event’s director and her staff about historical information of the Ala Wai canal and the disruption of natural watershed waste from highland streams that feed the Ala Wai canal which led to issues with runoff. Pesticides, heavy metals, mud, trash, organic debris, and other pollutants began accumulating in the canal. As a result, a thick layer of organic material called sludge formed.
Teams of 3-4 volunteers were formed and got their hands dirty to make baseball-sized Genki balls. After the Genki balls were made and equipment washed and put away, the fun began. We walked to the Ala Wai canal and everyone began throwing Genki balls into the canal. Over the past 7 years, this project has resulted in over 20 inches of polluted sludge reduction, cleaner water with far less Enterococci bacteria (a key indicator of sewage pollution) near the Hawaii Convention Center, and the return of marine life to areas where it had long disappeared. Today, sightings of native fish, hammerhead sharks, spotted eagle rays, and even monk seals are beginning to change the reputation of one of Hawaii’s most polluted waterways.
