TMG Cleans Up Kona Village Beach In The Spirit of Malama ‘Aina

Hawaii is known for its stunning landscape. From the lush green rainforests to snowcapped mountains to pristine white-sand beaches, Hawaiians take pride in their land, and when something happens to it—a storm, tsunami or other natural disaster—they take care of it.

In winter 2022, the Big Island was hit with a major storm that caused damage throughout the island, including the historic Kona Coast where one of the island’s oldest resorts, Kona Village, resides. After the storm, plastic, debris and sharp rocks polluted the picturesque beach. TMG’s founder Max Yarawamai heard about the mess and decided to recruit fellow TMG crew to help clean it up.

About 30 staff members and 15-20 community volunteers who heard what Max was doing showed up on a bright sunny morning.

“Without the community, we are powerless. We’re nothing,” says Max (see photo below), who’s been a resident of the Big Island for forty years and is no stranger to spontaneous, volunteer-led beach initiatives. Recruiting his team and friends to clean up the Kona Village beach was simply a part of Malama ‘Aina—a Hawaiian phrase that means caring for and honoring the land.

Max and his team have done various projects to care for the land of Hawaii over the years, from beaches to cemeteries. The Kona Village cleanup was yet another way to embody this Hawaiian value.

Kona Village was one of the first resorts to open on the Big Island in the 1960s. It has a long history with the island, becoming a place that generations of families have returned to visit, including well-known guests like Steve Jobs. When it was destroyed by a tsunami in 2011, the resort was forced to close its doors. This year, it will reopen as a Rosewood resort after undergoing extensive renovation led by real estate investment firm Kennedy Wilson.

Volunteers from Kennedy Wilson and Rosewood joined TMG’s beach cleanup efforts. After several hours of combing the beach and clearing debris, the beach was once again safe and clean for beachgoers to enjoy.

While Max and his team have maintained other luxury properties along the Kona Coast, including Hualalai, a Four Seasons Resort, and Kuki‘o Golf and Beach Club, cleaning up Kona Village beach wasn’t linked to turning a profit. It was simply the right thing to do.

“You’re not working there to make money,” says Max. “You are there working with other people who have the same heart as you and are taking care of the land.”

This is what sets landscaping in Hawaii apart from elsewhere in the country. The work here is based in the deeply rooted spirit of Malama ‘Aina. It’s not work done solely for profit or to impress tourists; it’s work Max and his team would be doing no matter what because the land and the people on it are what matter.

Lending a helping hand to such a historic site like Kona Village was a privilege for the TMG team and something they’re committed to continue doing throughout the island.

As Max said, “We want to make the community look better than when we came.” All in the spirit of Malama ‘Aina.