The annual Champions Tree Planting Ceremony for the Sentry Tournament of Champions took place on Wednesday, January 5 at The Plantation Course at Kapalua. The ceremonial tree planting tradition was implemented during the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions to mark the beginning of the Champions Garden located within the Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve on Maui. The ceremony included 2021 defending champion, Harris English, and Ritz-Carlton, Maui Kapalua Cultural Advisor, Clifford Naeole, who performed a Hawaiian blessing during the ceremony before the tree was taken to Pu’u Kukui to be planted in the Champions Garden. The Pu’u Kukui Watershed Preserve is the largest private nature preserve in the state of Hawai’i. Extending more than 9,000 acres on Maui’s West side, the pristine area is home to some of the rarest endangered flora and fauna in the islands and a vital water source for Maui’s community as well as one of the wettest spots on earth with over 400” per year. “Learning about the tree and the community and what it means to everyone that this tournament comes here, and for Sentry to be part of this is amazing,” said English following the ceremony. “I can come here for years and years and hopefully bring my kids or grandkids and get to see the tree and just be a part of this community.” A small team of conservationists are passionate about preserving Hawai’i’s precious ecosystems and ensuring the safety of the water source. These ongoing preservation efforts, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions annual tree planting ceremony, ensure the continued health and safety of these precious natural resources for generations to come.
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