97-year-old woman uses walker to get to food drive

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Maria Arakaki, 97, used a walker to get to Aloha Stadium to stand in line for food on Tuesday.

She was one of the thousands of people in line for the largest “Show Aloha Challenge” food drive to date.

“Two months ago I couldn’t even walk to the corner,” explained Arakaki. “But I said, I think I’m going to try. I walked all the way. Stop and go, stop and go,”

Co-Founder Mike Gangloff said he was alerted by a security guard about a senior at the front gate sitting on the curb with a walker asking for food.

Gangloff immediately picked her up in his truck and waited in line like everyone else.

After getting her food, he drove her home about a half a mile away, the entire route uphill, then helped unload everything into her refrigerator.

“She looked at me and she said this is the most food I have seen on my table in the last two months. And it just made me cry right there I couldn’t even help it,” Mike Gangloff said.

Gangloff said Arakaki offered him some cake and they sat and talked for about an hour.

She told him she’s never been to a food drive but on Tuesday she felt compelled.

“I’ve never had anything free all my life,” said Arakaki. “I’ve never asked for anything. But, I was happy for what I got. He helped me, so now I won’t have to worry for a couple of weeks,”

It’s like “Good Karma”. Gangloff said maybe their paths were meant to cross.

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