honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 1, 2010

Kokua Festival is on for April 23-24


By Dave Dondoneau
TGIF Editor

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Singer/songwriter Jack Johnson, right, performed at the Waikíkí Shell with band members, from left, Merlo Podlewski on bass and Zach Gill on accordion at a Keiki Kokua Festival concert for Island school kids in 2008.

Advertiser library photo

spacer spacer

Jack's back, and so is the Kokua Festival for 2010.

Jack being North Shore resident Jack Johnson, who announced today he'll be releasing his sixth studio album (not yet named) on June 1, followed by a world tour.

The sixth Kokua Festival, meanwhile, will take place Earth Day weekend — April 23 and April 24 — at the Waikíkí Shell. The festival wasn't held last year for the first time since 2004.

Joining Johnson at the festival are Taj Mahal, Ziggy Marley — whose "Family Time" album won a Grammy yesterday for best children's album — Jake Shimabukuro and Anuhea.

The Kokua Hawai'i Foundation also announced today that the day before the festival begins, April 22, will be Keiki Kokua Day, when Hawai'i school groups that have completed Kokua Earth Action Projects will be recognized. KEAP is a school program that guides environmental service learning initiatives led by student groups.

Kokua Festival tickets go on sale Feb. 20 for Hawai'i residents and Feb. 21 to the general public at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and 800-745-3000. Prices are $40 for general admission/lawn, $50 for reserved seats, $125 in the seated pit area, and $20 general admission for children 3-12. Children under 3 are free. Online ticket purchasers will also have the option to add on a $2 carbon credit.

There is a chance to purchase tickets earlier. On Feb. 13, STAR 101.9-FM listeners will be offered pre-sale opportunities by participating in beach cleanups around O'ahu and on Maui. Visit www.star1019.com for more details.

All proceeds from the festival go to the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Johnson and his wife, Kim, in 2003 to support environmental education programs in the schools and communities in the state.

Johnson also donates the proceeds from his world tours to environmental and nonprofit causes. Most of his income comes from the more than 14 million studio CDs he has sold. Each of his five studio-released CDs has sold at least 2 million copies.

Money raised from this year's Kokua Festival will be used to support school recycling on O'ahu, sponsor field trips, and grow 'AINA In Schools, a farm-to-school program. The name stands for Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture.