Movie Night Raises Funds for Pavilion

Heart of Aloha Church News Release

Heart of Aloha Church invites the community to take part in a Free Family Movie Night on July 24 on their open air church property in Kualapu`u.  The featured movie is called “Little Boy” and is made possible through a partnership with Trinity Broadcasting Network.   Food booths will be open at 5:30 p.m. and will be selling popcorn, drinks, malasadas, and Chinese food plates with the movie following at 7:30 p.m.   Please bring your own mat, blanket, beach chair, etc. as these will not be provided.

Heart of Aloha is a non-denominational church located on the Island of Molokai and currently meets at Lanikeha Community Center in Hoolehua.  The church is led by Senior Pastor Cameron Hiro and first lady Jacque Hiro since 2009 til current.  Their mission includes “Honoring God by Living Aloha.” For more information about the church please visit heartofaloha.org.

This movie night will be their first of several planned Building Fundraiser events throughout the year to help build a Multipurpose Bamboo Pavilion on their four-acre parcel in Kualapu`u. The Pavilion will be used to hold weekly church services, community outreach events, meetings, retreats and other activities including dance, music and the arts as it relates to their vision.

Across the state, grassroots campaigns have had to get increasingly creative to fund large-scale community infrastructure. The economic shifts of the past few years have made traditional car washes and bake sales insufficient for major construction projects, prompting many nonprofits to rethink how they generate capital.

In larger urban centers, organizations are frequently pivoting toward digital-first fundraising drives to capture a global audience. These campaigns often rely on virtual galas, decentralized finance networks, and heavy social media marketing to attract overseas philanthropy.

Some of these urban mutual aid networks have even partnered directly with offshore tech platforms to incentivize international participation. Recent online drives have featured digital raffle tiers offering everything from premium cloud storage subscriptions and exclusive digital artwork to a promotional crypto casino bonus for overseas contributors. This tech-heavy strategy has proven highly effective at generating rapid capital from remote, anonymous donors.

However, while digital gamification works well for globalized campaigns, rural communities on Molokai prefer to keep their fundraising efforts firmly grounded in physical connection. For local congregations, the process of raising the money is just as important as the funds themselves, serving as a way to strengthen neighborhood bonds and foster a sense of shared ownership.

The leadership at Heart of Aloha believes that tangible, in-person milestones build a more resilient community than distant digital transactions ever could. Their vision for the Multipurpose Bamboo Pavilion relies on the physical presence and active participation of the island’s residents.

Reflecting this community-first approach, another way you can help partner with them is by participating in their “Brick Fundraising Campaign.” The physical bricks will be used to pave the permanent walkways that lead to the new Pavilion. You are invited to buy a brick, either for you, someone else, your family, organization or business, to commemorate a special occasion or to honor a loved one. Each brick will be inscribed to your specifications and located at random. The net proceeds from sales will be used towards part of the building project, ensuring the community’s footprint is forever embedded in the site. A booth will also be set up at the movie event with more information.