Jazz, food, art merge to fund new hospice, honor sisters
By Anna Weaver
Hawaii Catholic Herald
An evening of jazz, fine dining and silent auctioning on Oct. 6 raised money for a new St. Francis Hospice-East and honored the legacy of the Sisters of Saint Francis in Hawaii.
The St. Francis Healthcare Foundation of Hawaii hosted nearly 1,000 people for its “Art and All That Jazz” benefit at the Hawaii Convention Center, which opened with a silent auction at 5 p.m. offering 90 dining, golf, spa, travel, jewelry and collectible items.
Eighteen pieces from the St. Francis art collection, mostly work that had decorated the halls and walls of St. Francis Medical Centers Liliha and West, were among the items up for bidding.
After introductory remarks and a blessing around 7 p.m., attendees watched an inspiring “Continuing the Legacy” slide show on the history of the Sisters of Saint Francis in Hawaii accompanied by live music by Sean Tiwanak and narrated by local entertainer Marlene Sai.
After a main course of filet mignon and scallops, diners nibbled at chocolate torte cake and sipped Kona coffee while being treated to a powerhouse “All That Jazz” revue that included an opening jazz dance and singing by Jan Brenner, Rocky Brown, Ginai and Anita Hall, all backed by the Honolulu Jazz Quartet.
After remarks by Sister of St. Francis Agnelle Ching, CEO of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii, and Eugene Tiwanak, president of St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, the evening ended with entertainment by Dita Holifield and contemporary dance and show band eight-0-eight.