Hauoli La Hanau Grace Guslander

Kauai Historical Society's annual pa'ina fundraiser will celebrate the 100th birthday of Grace Buscher Guslander, who established the famed Coco Palms Resort as a unique tropical vacation experience. We will recapture some of the royal welcome that Mrs. Guslander created for her guests in ceremonies including the nightly torchlighting, Hawaiian music reviews, elegant dinners, cocktail parties, coconut tree planting ceremonies, and holiday celebrations. The 100th birthday celebration will be on Saturday, October 23, at Smith's Tropical Paradise in Wailua, a magnificent setting of lagoons, mountain views, coco palms, flowers and peacocks. Uncle Larry Rivera will narrate the torchlighting and provide music as he did for decades. Tropical cocktails and island-style appetizers will be served. Varied Kauai musicians will provide more music, followed by a ballroom dancing demonstration to get everyone in the mood to dance into the evening. A clamshell sink from the Coco Palms will be up for auction to benefit the Kauai Historical Society, as will be many other unusual artifacts and donated items. A slide show and vignettes by former staff and friends of Grace will also be presented. Call the Kauai Historical Society or email for information and reservations. A portion of the ticket price is a donation to the Kauai Historical Society.