Aloha e Friends,
In response to the unexpected increase of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in our island home, we are saddened to announce that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the HawaiiACAC College Fair and Neighbor Island Fairs for Fall 2021. As an island state, our hospitals have been overwhelmed and are currently at or above full capacity. Although Hawaii has one of the best vaccination rates in the nation, the steep increase in hospitalizations due to positive COVID-19 cases has made it unavoidably clear that we are in a healthcare crisis.
We will be processing registration refunds beginning at the end of next week. For those who have paid HACAC member dues during the summer, we will be extending your membership for one additional year. Our Hawaii students still need you to help guide them to finding their best college options and we encourage you to continue reaching out to schools for visit opportunities. Although we know that this does not replace the in-person interactions that a college fair would provide, we are optimistic that we will be able to have in-person fairs in the future.
This decision was not made lightly and there was thoughtful and careful consideration by our HACAC Executive Board. We understand the level of planning and time that it takes to visit Hawaii and thank you so much for continuing to make the commitment to our students. Please accept our heartfelt apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused. We look forward to better times ahead where we can gather once again. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Malama Pono,
Rochelle Sakurai – HawaiiACAC President
Tyler Cegler – HawaiiACAC President-Elect
Farris James – HawaiiACAC Past-President
Stephanie Walsh – Neighbor Island Fairs Chair
Members of the HawaiiACAC Executive Board
