At a glance
Lūʻau is Hui Hoaloha ʻUlana’s annual celebration of Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi culture, bringing together the UW community… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2025-2026
- Mini
- Awarded
- $3,600
- Funding partners
-
- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
- Website & social links
From Lūʻau 2025, one of the women's hula performances.
From Lūʻau 2025, an image of a food committee volunteer serving traditional local Hawaiian food.
From Lūʻau 2025, Hui members gather on stage to celebrate our event.
From Lūʻau 2025, one of the co-ed hula performances.
Lūʻau is Hui Hoaloha ʻUlana’s annual celebration of Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi culture, bringing together the UW community through food, hula, and cultural activities. The organization’s largest event fosters connection, cultural awareness, and the sharing of traditions rooted in the value of kuleana, a responsibility to sustain and uplift community. Alongside cultural sustainability, the event incorporates environmental practices such as reusing materials and using compostable serviceware. Funds will be used for the HUB venue costs.
Lūʻau is an annual cultural event hosted by the members of Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana to celebrate and share Hawaiian and local Hawaii culture with the broader community. The event aims to spread the Aloha spirit and promote awareness of our culture through the sharing of food, dance, and games. Our 2026 Lūʻau event will feature traditional and local Hawaiian food, cultural games, and a series of Hula performances by our club members, along with students from PSA. Our annual Lūʻau, Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana's largest annual event, brings together many diverse members of the UW community through the sharing of Hawaiian culture, allowing many to partake in a rich cultural experience and learn more about Hawaiian culture, history, and traditions. Furthermore, our annual Lūʻau works towards sustaining Hawaiian culture and community at the University of Washington.
We are applying for the CSF Mini Grant to contribute to our event's infrastructure costs, specifically to cover a portion of our HUB Ballroom reservation. Having this space is crucial to the event and ensuring maximum outreach and accessibility while ensuring that our event happens in a sustainable space.
Our project will be initiated in three core phases: logistics, rehearsal/publicity, and execution. From October 2025 through January 2026, we will secure funding, build our committees, and confirm collaborations. From January through April 2026, we will finalize event details, arrange/rehearse performances, and promote our event. The days leading up to Lūʻau, and the event itself on Saturday, May 16th 2026, will focus on setting up the space, making and serving food, performing the dances, and welcoming our participants and guests.
Cultural sustainability is integral to Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana's Lūʻau event, and is a key tenant of the Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana's values and goals in general. Lūʻau provides a space for members of the Hawaiian community to build connections, share their culture, and strengthen representation within the community. The Hawaiian value of kuleana, meaning responsibility and describing a reciprocal relationship, connects strongly with CSF's mission to perpetuate sustainable and environmental justice, as well and strengthen student resilience and wellbeing. It is the kuleana of Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana to sustainably share and strengthen Hawaiian values, tradition, and culture with our University of Washington community. With CSF's help, Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana would be able to build upon prior initiatives and sustain our community.
Although our event focuses on cultural sustainability, we also care deeply about environmental sustainability and the impact that our existence has on others and the world we occupy. In our event, we work to reuse decorations and, as a new initiative this year for Lūʻau 2026, we are committing to using only compostable plates and utensils, other than reusing previously purchased supplies. Our islands are very susceptible to climate change, so Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana understands how essential it is to be mindful of our eco footprint, and will adjust our practices to do so.
Sarah Tottori
Project lead
- stottori@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Taylor Heatherly
Team member
- tayloh8@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 1 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Jason Cheers
Team member
- k24jache@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 3 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Gael Chun-Rivas
Team member
- gachun@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 3 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Landon Chun
Team member
- lchun23@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Ty Araki
Team member
- arakity@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Renee Infelise
Advisor
- reneei@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- Student Activities Office
- Stakeholder approval form
Request amount and budget
Plans for financial longevity
Lūʻau will retain financial stability through the UW funding, support of the local Hawaiian community, and the fundraising efforts of Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana. Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana, particularly for our annual Lūʻau events, continually applies for funding from campus organizations such as ASUW, the ECC, GPSS, the Hub, and the Alumni Association. The Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana club also regularly holds community fundraisers to both spread our culture and raise funds for our bigger events. Furthermore, many local Hawaiian businesses and community members contribute to our Lūʻau through financial and product donations. Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana is dedicated to maintaining our annual Lūʻau event, and has built a foundation of lasting community support, both at the University of Washington and in Hawai'i.
Each year, the logistics committee for Lūʻau also updates a detailed financial guide for future Lūʻau organizers to follow to ensure that funding is acquired. This includes a list of grants/funding to apply for by certain dates, instructions and templates for sending business and family donation letters, and budgeting and revenue data from years prior. This organization and care ensures that all Lūʻau teams are properly equipped to successfully organize, execute, and sustain this essential annual event.
- Summer & Fall Quarter: Logistics Planning, Outeach
- Secured HUB Ballroom, HUB kitchen reservations.
- Released committee volunteer sign-up form (for Dance, Deco, Ticketing, Publicity, Food, Country Store).
- Conducted logistics and planning meetings.
- Begin to apply for funding, fill out necessary forms to host event.
- January-March 2026
- Take inventory of previous Luau supplies.
- Start Hula dance rehearsals, which will continue until the event.
- Finalize menu.
- Finalize traditional games for event.
- Begin event promotion through social media.
- April 2026: Marketing & Final Preparations
- Started ticketing and outreach, which will continue until the event.
- Finalize program and script for event.
- Finalize event decorations.
- May 2026: Event Execution & Wrap-Up
- Conduct dress rehearsal for event.
- Organize and train committee volunteers for event-day support.
- May 16, 2026: Host Luau at HUB Ballroom.
- Record event, shoot publicity (photography and videography) throughout.
- Host wrap-up meeting with committee chairs, transfer and organize information for next year's organizers.
Plans for long-term project management
As Lūʻau has been a tradition at the University of Washington for decades, we plan for our annual Lūʻau to continue as long as Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana is an active community. Our seven main committees: Logistics, Dance, Food, Deco, Publicity, Country Store, and Ticketing have appointed chairs who will train shadows in operations to manage and execute future Lūʻau events. All of the committee chairs will maintain detailed records of Lūʻau activities to assist future Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana members. The continuation of this event is built into many aspects of the Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana RSO and will continue to exist and thrive in future years, building off of the strong foundations laid by current and past members.
Problem statement
Our Lūʻau event aims to fill the gap of cultural sustainability and representation of Hawaiian culture at the University of Washington as the Hawaiian culture is often overlooked and underrepresented in media, leadership, and academic spaces. Our event also works to preserve and share Hawaiian cultural values and practices; Hawaiian culture strongly values sustainability with a holistic approach centering stewardship to the land, conservation, and community responsibility. These indigenous values and ways of being are at risk of disappearing within predominantly Western academic institutions. In this event, Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana would help to cultivate a more complete understanding of Hawaiian culture and knowledge within this community.
This event has happened annually for decades, ingraining itself into the fabric that makes up cultural diversity at the University of Washington. It was initially created for and continues to be a way for the Hawaiian community at the University of Washington to come together and for the community to learn about and celebrate Hawaiian culture.
Problem context
Many other RSOs and organizations at the University of Washington also embrace and work towards cultural sustainability. Our Lūʻau event, however, is the only annual event specifically focusing on the often overlooked Hawaiian culture. This unique event is necessary to preserve and share traditional Hawaiian values and knowledge, while also providing much-needed representation in academic spaces for students from Hawaii. We work to build a sustainable and welcoming community, and to create a diverse, accepting space for all students, faculty, and those in the UW community to live and to learn.
Our Lūʻau event also collaborates with other RSOs and organizations to maximize the efforts of all involved. As an RSO affiliated with the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) with a shared goal of cultural sustainability, Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana collaborates with the ECC to ensure the success and outreach of our Lūʻau event. Furthermore, in our 2025 Lūʻau, Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana also collaborated with the Polynesian Student Alliance (PSA), another RSO dedicated to sharing Pacific Islander culture. PSA members performed two traditional dances alongside our Hula performances, complimenting and enriching our cultural sustainability initiatives. We hope and plan to collaborate in a similar manner in Lūʻau 2026, further strengthening bonds between our organizations and ensuring the continuation of our collective action.
Measure the impacts
| Impact / goal | Metric(s) of success | UW stakeholders impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Promote Cultural Sustainability | 300+ total attendees | Undergraduate, Graduate, Alumni, Academic staff, Admin staff |
| Promote leadership, educational opportunities for students | 50+ committee members help to plan and execute the event | Undergraduate |
Communication tactics and tools
Our ticketing committee tables on the UW quad and outside of the HUB for 30 days before Lūʻau aiming to promote the event. We also hold fundraisers on campus marketed towards the general UW community promote Lūʻau, such as selling spam musubi. Our publicity committee collaborates with the Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana historian to promote our event on social media, primarily Instagram (@hawaiiclubatuw) and TikTok (@hawaiiclubatuw), often collaborating with other RSOs to reach as many people as possible. Furthermore, in-person promotion and word-of-mouth is frequently utilized at Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana general meetings. These diverse communication methods ensure that we are able to effectively inspire excitement and share event details with a diverse, wide-reaching audience.
Outreach communication plan
We will actively promote our Lūʻau event, targeting the University of Washington communities. Current undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, alumni, and those in the general UW community will benefit as they share and learn about Hawaiian culture. Other RSOs and groups at the UW, including PSA and the ECC will also benefit as we collaborate to take collective action. The UW and Hawai'i communities will both benefit as Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana brings them together in our event centering learning, representation, and togetherness.
Student involvement
Our project is planned, organized, and executed entirely by students. This year, more than 15 students serve as committee chairs or committee chair shadows, all gaining valuable leadership experience. Current committee chairs mentor their shadows, preparing them to assume the role in upcoming years. Student volunteering is also essential to our six main committees— dance, food, publicity, decorations, country store, and ticketing. We expect over 50 student committee volunteers. Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana also has two student cultural chairs in charge of putting together the main vision of Lūʻau and ensuring that Hawaiian culture is properly represented in every aspect of the event. Student involvement drives our Lūʻau and this event provides invaluable leadership, collaboration, and learning experiences for all students involved.