Guided chocolate tasting at Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate to benefit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council 

Exciting news! This event will be led by Gunars Valkirs PhD, founder and CEO of Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate

Numerous scientific studies have identified the benefits of consuming chocolate, including providing health-boosting antioxidants and micronutrients.

This Sunday, December 5, you can add one more benefit to enjoying quality chocolate: it will help the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council raise needed funds for projects to protect Mauiʻs nearshore coral reefs and the ocean water quality at island beaches. Thatʻs because Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate in Lahaina is holding a signature guided chocolate tasting this Sunday with 100% of the ticket sales to be donated to Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

This special 60-minute guided chocolate tasting will be led by Gunars Valkirs, PhD, the founder and CEO of Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate. It will begin at 12:30 pm and will take place on the Maui Kuʻia rooftop pavilion at 78 Ulupono St, Suite 1, in Lahaina. During the tasting, guests will be introduced to Maui Ku’ia’s unique chocolate and its varieties. Guests will sample at least nine varieties of chocolate, including some featuring unique Maui flavors. Participants will discover how cacao is locally grown in Lahaina and why the chocolate produced at the Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate factory is of such high quality.

100% of the ticket sales from this tour will benefit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at https://www.mauichocolatetour.com/weekend-tastings-chocolate-laulima/

Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate established their guided chocolate tasting events to benefit local Maui nonprofits, finding inspiration in the Hawaiian concept of kuleana. “In the Hawaiian language, kuleana can be defined as accepting responsibility with understanding and intent,” notes the Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate website. “It is a value or a way of thinking that gives one a sense of ownership and accountability or carrying out certain responsibilities, and it becomes one’s privilege to do so.”

Through the Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate Laulima Program, participating nonprofits can sign up to benefit from the guided chocolate tastings. They can also earn 40% of the retail sales of chocolate products sold through the program. To learn more, visit https://mauichocolate.com/pages/chocolate-laulima.

“Give yourself a holiday treat by participating in Sundayʻs guided chocolate tasting event and be proud of yourself for making a difference,” says Anne Rillero, Communication, Community Outreach and Development Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is very grateful to Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate for their generosity in supporting our important work to save Mauiʻs coral reefs.”

“Itʻs a true gift to Maui that Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate is so committed to supporting our community nonprofits — while also producing such exquisite, high quality chocolates.”

To learn more about Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, please visit www.mauireefs.org.