HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Dozens of Hawaii residents will see a bit clearer thanks to the help of local doctors and nonprofits.

For the 4th year in a row, The Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii performed free cataract surgeries on Saturday as part of WikiVision’s Cataract Surgery Day.

38 uninsured and underinsured Hawaii residents benefited.

“It’s a life-changing experience for them. Where they can, it opens the world up to them again. They can see where they are walking. They can see their family and friends. They can see the leaves on the trees and the grass on the blades of the grass and things like that. And so it can be a very life-changing experience for them,” Ophthalmologist Dr. William Wong Jr. said.

The procedure typically costs upward of $10,000.

A fundraising concert featuring young musicians was held at Iolani School leading up to the surgeries, raising nearly $50,000 for the cause.

Donate to the cause here.

Find more information about the WikiVision here.

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The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has taken drastic steps following an outbreak of norovirus among hikers at Kalalau beach on the island of Kauai. To combat the disease, the state has closed the entire Kalalau Trail from Ke’e to Honopu.

Officials report at least 37 people who were hiking or camping at Kalalau beach reported the highly contagious illnesses. The illness can cause copious vomiting, fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. The Health Department recommends the area to remain closed until September 19th.

DLNR officers conducted a sweep of the area to clear out any remaining hikers and The Kalalau Trailhead to prevent reentry. Anyone trespassing during the closure can be arrested.

All comfort stations along the trail are being sanitized and a team from the Health Department is collecting water and soil samples. We will be sure to monitor this situation and update as more information becomes available.

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Statement:

ENTIRE KALALAU SECTION OF THE NĀPALI COAST STATE WILDERNESS PARK NOW CLOSED

Testing of Water, Soil, and the Environment Underway

The DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP), in consultation with the Hawai‘i Dept. of Health (DOH), has elected to close the entire Kalalau Trail section, from Kē‘ē to Honopu in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park. DLNR and DOH are closely coordinating the situation in Kalalau and taking appropriate action to ensure public health and safety.

The highly contagious norovirus has been identified as the cause of illness to dozens of backpackers along the trail. This viral illness typically causes copious vomiting, often accompanied by fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.

The closure is effective immediately and DOH is recommending closure at least until Sept. 19. All comfort stations along the trail are being cleaned and disinfected. Ha‘ena State Park and Kē‘ē Beach will remain open with enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the comfort station there.

Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) will travel to Kalalau, Hanakoa, and Hanakāpīʻai this weekend to direct any remaining permitted and unpermitted hikers and campers to leave the area. The Kalalau Trailhead at Kē‘ē will be manned by law enforcement 24/7 to prevent entrance onto the trail.

DOH has received reports of illness from at least 37 people who were hiking the Kalalau Trail and camping at a state campsite at Kalalau beach, though the actual number of affected people is estimated to be higher. A DOH team is at Kalalau today collecting water, soil, and environmental swabs to assess ongoing risk of transmission from contaminated surfaces or water.

Norovirus was detected in multiple samples from people who didn’t directly interact with each other.

Beginning with the initial closure Wednesday morning and again yesterday, DOCARE officers flew into Kalalau to tell campers they needed to leave. Officer Christian “Kana‘i” Gayagas said he and a fellow officer approached about 40 campers at Kalalau. They cited two, who did not have the required permit to hike beyond Hanakāpīʻai.

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Forrest Liss of Kaua‘i backpacked to Kalalau on Tuesday, prior to the park closure. He said he’d heard about some sort of illness on social media and spoke while cleaning camp, preparing to hike out. He said by the time he and his party reached camp most everyone who was sick had already left. He added, “We figure camping, people get sick. Maybe they drank the water. People get sick but when they start going through the protocols of shutting down the park, actually this is something a little more serious.”

Norovirus has impacted at least three other popular trails in the U.S. in recent years.

The National Park Service Office of Public Health has received increasing reports of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses among hikers and other individuals along the Appalachian Trail in areas of Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Norovirus is suspected as the cause of illness and has been confirmed diagnostically in at least some of the cases. The impact of norovirus in other areas and states along the Appalachian Trail is possible due to virus transmissibility and challenges to hand hygiene and sanitation along the trail.

According to media reports, dozens of people visiting Havasu Falls in Arizona got ill and were flown out for medical treatment in June. Norovirus was confirmed as the cause of sickness in some cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2022, the largest outbreak of acute gastroenteritis documented in the Grand Canyon National Park backcountry occurred. At least 222 rafters and backpackers became infected, probably with norovirus. Also, in 2022 and again this past April, hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail also reported getting sick.

Coincidentally, Thursday had been scheduled as a regular DSP maintenance day at Kalalau. In addition to the DOCARE officers, three state parks workers collected and bagged rubbish to be helicoptered out of the valley. They did two “sling loads,” which is dramatically different from a decade ago when it was common for helicopters to lift dozens of 600-pound sling loads of trash out of Kalalau.

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In addition to that work and replacing missing signs, they employed DOH recommendations when cleaning the camp’s comfort station. Derrick Louis of DSP said, “We swept the floor and bleached the whole bathroom, floors, railings, toilets, everything. Waited at least 7 to10 minutes, cleaned everything and did it again and then we wiped everything down with a disinfectant.”

Despite the current closure, Kalalau Valley has a long history of harboring squatters who are often hidden in the thick forest of the valley making them undetectable.

Commercial and recreational boaters should not drop people off to swim, paddle, or kayak to Kalalau beach. It is imperative to keep humans out based on the DOH protocols. People can be cited or arrested during the closure, and once Kalalau reopens if they are present without a required state permit.

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Seventeen hula halau brought grace and beauty to the forefront of the festival as they danced together for the 25th He Halia Aloha No Lili‘uokalani to celebrate the Queen’s birthday at Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens in Hilo.

After offering ho‘okupu to Queen Lili‘uokalani, the halau filled the park to perform a mass hula to “Lili‘u E,” which is a personal song of praise for the queen.

The music seemed to fade as a helicopter flew overhead and released flower blossoms over at least 1,000 people in the crowd, which has been the tradition of the Hilo festival.

Halau danced to “Mahalo E Hilo Hanakahi” to finish the ceremony and dispersed to friends and family throughout the gardens.

The dancers from Na Wahine Punahele ‘O Ka Pu‘uwai each hugged their Kumu Hula Iwalani Woo-O’Brien, who recited a portion of a speech that was given by Queen Lili‘uokalani as she and her halau offered ho‘okupu.

“This celebration is important for the great memory of a queen who tried everything to keep her kingdom, but couldn’t because of the powers that be,” Woo-O’Brien said. “The amazing speech was about the love of her people, which is why she could not regain her power. She could never sacrifice her people.”

Queen Lili’uokalani was an accomplished composer and songwriter and made sure to preserve key elements of Hawaii’s traditional poetics. According to the Lili‘uokalani Trust, many of her compositions were love songs in the tradition of mele ho‘oipoipo, full of nature metaphors.

Although she worked tirelessly in the world of politics before and after her overthrow in 1893, Queen Lili’uokalani remained faithful to her music as she wrote about the issues she faced, which have endured as expressions of Hawaiian identity.

“Coming together in this way is perfect for her. We hope to emulate her love of music, hula and her people as we celebrate and honor her as our only reigning queen,” Woo-O’Brien said. “It’s amazing to see so many halau here with so many faces I recognize. It’s especially great seeing our keiki as it begins with them again.”

Evelyn Togashi, a former recreation specialist for the County of Hawaii’s Department of Parks and Recreation, took photos during the He Halia Aloha No Lili‘uokalani, which she helped start before retiring in 2000.

“I’m so proud and happy to see how much this event has grown over the years. It’s so beautiful and the day is wonderful,” Togashi said. “I’m happy to see Parks and Recreation keep putting events together and making them bigger. I hope everyone has a wonderful time.”

After halau performed, Darlene Ahuna, Taishoji Taiko, Just Us Band, and Ben Kaili and Kanakapila provided live entertainment for attendees. The County also provided activities like traditional Hawaiian games, arts and crafts and demonstrations.

For more information on Queen Lili‘uokalani and the legacy she left Hawaii, visit Lili‘uokalani Trust’s website at http://onipaa.org/queen-liliuokalani.

Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com