A big, animal-loving crowd gathered at the Tiki Bar and Grill last Saturday, along the sandy shores of the lagoon on Sebastian’s Indian River Drive, to attend an inaugural Ma-HALO Luau to benefit the H.A.L.O. no-kill animal shelter.
When H.A.L.O. founder Jacque Petrone came across the Hawaiian word for thank you – “Mahalo” – she knew she had found the perfect theme for an event. The nonprofit shelter, which Petrone founded in 2005, rescues more than 1,500 dogs and cats (and random other pet species) each year, and the charismatic, dedicated young woman is always seeking new ways to say “Mahalo!!” to the many donors and volunteers who make the highly popular facility successful.
“When I saw the word, it came to me – what a great idea. Easy, casual, fun. This will be a tradition,” predicted Petrone, dressed in a purple hula skirt and colorful lei.
She expressed gratitude to the Tiki Bar for providing the totally perfect venue, where a continual breeze from the northeast kept the evening comfortable and bug-free.
Tiki torches glowed, paper flowers and balloons adorned the palms and a band played Pop County, while on the broad deck at the northern end, guests lined up for pulled pork sandwiches or cheese quesadillas and luau-style trimmings. And gorgeous, tulle draped baskets filled with all variety of goodies for animals and humans lured guests to drop their raffle tickets into plastic coconuts.
On each umbrella-topped wooden table, colorful sand-filled pails contained a paper flower, balloon, small tiki face and a portrait card of an irresistible, adoptable H.A.L.O. resident dog or cat, with its brief bio on the back. A large scrapbook at another table held yet more animal photos for guests to browse though, perhaps finding that just-right new family member.
Margaret Wall, H.A.L.O. Development Director, happily announced that the event was a sell-out, with the place filled with just the right “critical mass.”
Most guests had chosen luau-themed attire – the guys happily sans ties, favoring shorts and Tom Selleck-style shirts, and the ladies in brightly flowered Polynesian sarongs, dresses and skirts, many with blossoms in their hair. Vivacious H.A.L.O. Manager Krissy Hutchinson, sporting a pink hula skirt; her dark bob punched with streaks of blonde and bright blue, made sure no one was without a colorful lei.
Sebastian resident Karen Fleming, attending with husband Bruce, was a knock-out in a dark sarong with orange and yellow leaves, a flower in her long hair. Kathy Arton, in a short flowered skirt and friend Kaely Hutchinson, in a long, white gown, were also luau-ready.
“I’m a H.A.L.O. volunteer,” Arton said, “and I’ve adopted three dogs myself.”
Like many attendees, Alan and Liz Northcott share their home with a couple of H.A.L.O. cats and she is a volunteer at the organization’s facility at the Indian River Mall. County Property Appraiser David Nolte, who with wife Michele have four rescue dogs, called the evening, “Just wonderful!”
“I love hanging out with the young people and learning what’s happening in their universe,” said Gail Melnick, retired Macho Products VP and H.A.L.O. volunteer “go-fer,” adding that she enjoys the mix of ages among the volunteers.
In the late evening, as darkness provided a dramatic backdrop, the guests were wowed by an exciting performance featuring the Mareva Polynesian Hula and Fire Dancers.