Kona Historical Society needs $200,000 by Dec. 31
The Kona Historical Society says it must raise $200,000 by Dec. 31 to stay open, Big Island Now reported.
Board president Laysan Unger told the outlet the nonprofit never recovered financially from its 2020 pandemic closure and lost a state grant it usually receives. A magnitude-6 earthquake on May 22 also damaged the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum in Kealakekua, which remains closed. Running the society costs about $20,000 a month when lean, Unger said.
The society also runs the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Captain Cook and keeps an archive of more than 50,000 photos. Its board is drafting a plan to rehome the archives if it has to close.
What it means: The campaign decides whether two Kona heritage sites and the archive stay open to the public.
