The Central East Maui Little League team exit the Howard J. Lamade stadium Sunday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Dave Kennedy/ The Maui News photo

By MATTHEW COURTER for The Maui News

mcourter@sungazette.com

WILLIAMSPORT, PA. – Summertime is in peak vacation season when many from around the area leave home in search of their own momentary paradise. For the families of the Little League’s West Region champs, hailing from the island of Maui and the town of Wailuku in the Aloha state of Hawaii, the Williamsport area offers a unique small-town charm that stands in stark contrast to the waving palm trees and white sand beaches of Maui.

“For me, some of the highlights are watching all the games, meeting all the parents and meeting the people of Lycoming County,” said Kimberly Awanaa, whose grandson, Brextyn “Bam Bam” Hong, acts as the team’s pitcher, first and third baseman and shortstop.

This is not the first go ’round for Kimberly and husband, George, who were in South Williamsport in 2019 to watch as Brextyn’s brother, Bransyn Hong. The elder Hong played multiple positions as an infielder and outfielder for that year’s World Series team.

“We’re both retired, so it was a no-brainer for us to come back and support Brextyn,” George said.

“This is such a beautiful area. We appreciate the original buildings, the original Little League baseball field, and the original Little League Museum, which we visited on our first day here,” Kimberly said.

Central East Maui Little Leaguers flash the “shocka” at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

But, what makes the trip all the more special are the personal connections that get made along the way.

“Just meeting people and listening to their stories. It’s so inspirational. They’re such a joy it just brings tears to my eyes,” she said.

“It’s been such a positive experience for us. We’re so happy to be back again,” Kimberly added.

Many of the families from The Valley Isle (Maui) spoke of their visit to the site of the first World Series, the Carl E. Stotz Field, located along W. Fourth Street just before the Newberry section of Williamsport, several citing their interactions with Richard Horn as the highlight of their visit.

Horn was a pitcher who played for the Brandon Little League team in the first Little World Series in 1947.

While some have grand plans for sightseeing in the area, others take a more laid-back approach, just soaking it all in.

“I’m just looking forward to watching all the games,” said Irving Fujii. He and his wife, Marie, are grandparents of Kanon Nakama. He plays pitcher, center and infielder for the Maui team.

“Its just exciting to be here,” Marie added.

“It’s quite a bit of time and expense, but everybody’s been telling us, ‘it’s honestly a once in a lifetime thing,’ so it’s great we got to make the trip, Irving said, adding that he and his wife don’t often get to spend as much time with Nakama as they’d like.

“We’re gonna be tired there from the trip, but we’ll recover once we go back,” he joked.

Still, the couple’s joy for being here for their grandson is palpable.

“Coming here is awesome. It’s nice people, very clean, and we’re really enjoying our stay,” Irving said.

One of the biggest highlights for the couple so far has been their time at the Genetti Hotel, which Irving described as “so clean,” with extremely friendly and helpful staff.

“It’s gotta be tough on them, with so many people coming in that are unfamiliar with the area and possibly speaking other languages,” he said.

“I love this town,” said Curstyn Pacheco. Her son, Gauge, serves as pitcher, as well as infielder and outfielder for the team.

“It’s cute, it’s tiny. It’s so green and luscious, and it kinda reminds me of home,” she said.

That cuteness is something Gauge’s grandmother, “Nana” Gail Hanai, more than agreed with as she marveled at the timeless homes that line the streets of Williamsport.

“I’m really impressed with the homes because they’re so old and so quaint and so Victorian,” she said.

“I’ve always been so curious and I would just love to go through one,” Hanai said.

“It’s so different from what we’re used to at home. They’re so impressive,” she said.