WAI'ANAE — Lualualei Valley saw a cultural bonanza yesterday as more than four dozen members of the Hawai'i United Okinawan Association threw a party for Ohana Ola O Kahumana, about 250 mostly Hawaiian people representing 47 homeless families living in transitional lodgings sheltered by the majestic Wai'anae Range.

"We are here to share our culture with them, and they in turn will share their culture with us," said Jane Serikaku, executive director of the association, who said the association's outreach program threw a picnic last year at another Wai'anae shelter and had so much fun it's become an annual event.

Before it was over, Ohana Ola staff and residents were already making noises about keeping the celebration at Kahumana on Lualualei Homestead Road. Association members had spent months preparing for yesterday's festival, said Serikaku.

The many preparations included "prizes and gift bags galore," said Serikaku, along with mounds of packages stuffed with "apples, oranges, melons and bananas," not to mention all manner of household supplies for each and every family.

Throughout the morning and afternoon, a team of cooks deep- fried andagi, or Okinawan doughnuts. Naturally, there were other foodstuffs galore.

The fun and games officially began at 10:15 a.m. with a stunning stage dance by a Japanese lion dog, or shishi. The large golden creature mesmerized the crowd as it bowed, wiggled, flipped its tail, rolled over and pranced lithely and life-like, springing without warning from the stage into the audience, scattering screaming kids in every direction.

"That was really fun!" laughed Roberta Bustamante, 12, barely able to catch her breath following the big chase. Bustamante was among a crowd of youngsters who swarmed in to take a closer look at the beast after Jon Itomura and Eric Nitta emerged from the shaggy costume, rendering it tame enough to approach.

"The shishimai (dance) brings luck to all who witness its performance," said Itomura, who is the president-elect of the Okinawan Association, and was out of breath himself. "It is regarded as a legendary deity."

The shishimai was followed by a colorful bon dance, complete with costumed drummers and musicians playing exotic Asian instruments. Ohana Ola residents joined in the song and dance.

Watching intently nearby was the Rev. Philip Harmon, co-founder of Kahumana, who described the event as a joyous way in which Kahumana's population of children could broaden their cultural experiences.

"Our children have decided that they're going to have to give back," he said. "So they're going to dance for the Okinawans" — thus creating an Asian and Hawaiian cultural mix that spans the Pacific, he said.

By 1 p.m. the party was winding down. But as far as Harmon was concerned it was only the beginning.

"Our goal is to have a lot of these different festivals from different cultures that live here, to give our families a broader sense of life," Harmon said.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.