One of Kona’s most anticipated charity events takes place again this year at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Sunday, December 13.
Now in its 15th year at the same gracious location, the Hospice of Kona’s Royal Holiday Tea features an extravagant midday celebration filled with love, memories and compassion for patients—those currently in hospice care and those lost—as well as the staff who cared for them throughout their journey.
“This event provides an opportunity for families, friends, Hospice staff and board members, as well as our many community donors and volunteers to come together in a beautiful setting to reconnect and share stories in a convivial atmosphere,” Hospice of Kona CEO Laura Varney says.
Planning for the 2026 event began the day after last year’s tea concluded, although the real “heavy lifting” takes place June through early December, Laura, a 20-year veteran of the organization, says.
Highlights include an elaborate high tea buffet with a Hawaiian twist, colorful, uplifting décor, whimsical tabletop centerpieces and a silent auction featuring some 120 items, ranging from restaurant and hotel-stay gift certificates, artwork and jewelry to wellness products, spa treatments, musical instruments such as ukuleles and activities.
“The centerpieces created by long-time staff member Mary Villaverde, manager of our Memory Lane thrift shops, are also available for purchase,” Laura says. “Mary collects intriguing items donated to the shops throughout the year to create the stunning tabletop designs. She has a knack for making everything beautiful, including the merchandising displays at our shops.”
Despite the festive mood, Laura says she never forgets the event’s primary purpose in her messaging on the day. The Royal Holiday Tea High, she says, is one of three annual events—including a Casino Night Gala and Memorial Golf Tournament—held specifically to raise funds in support of Hospice of Kona’s Nakamaru Hale, Maluihi Grief Services and Camp Erin.
Hospice of Kona’s Nakamaru Hale is a five-bed residential home that opened in 2012 on a peaceful coffee plantation in Hōlualoa.
“While hospice care traditionally takes place in the patient’s own home, occasionally at-home care is not an option,” Laura says. “Not all patients have caregivers who are able or available to care for them at home; others may have pain or symptoms that can’t be managed effectively at home. Nakamaru Hale provides a caring, home-like environment for patients in these situations.”
Camp Erin Hawaii is a weekend-long bereavement camp offered free of charge to children and teens ages 6-17 who are grieving the loss of a significant person in their lives. The experience combines grief education and emotional support with fun, traditional camp activities, she says.
“Led by bereavement professionals and trained volunteers, the camp provides a safe environment for participants to explore their grief, learn coping skills and make friends with peers who also are grieving,” Laura says.
Maluihi Grief Services provides individual counseling, group support and special memorial events for those in the community who’ve experienced the death of a loved one, she says.
“Last year our Royal Holiday Tea raised more than $100,000—the most ever—in support of these programs. This year, as always, I go in with a heart full of gratitude for everything everyone has given to this effort—every dollar, every hug,” Laura says.
For more information and to order tickets, phone 808.324.7700. HospiceOfKona.org.