Grassroot Institute of Hawaii 25th Anniversary Gala | September 04, 2026

Celebrate 25 Years of Liberty: Join LPHI at the Grassroot Institute's Anniversary Gala

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is celebrating its 25th anniversary of championing the values of individual liberty, economic freedom and limited, accountable government in Hawaii.

To mark this milestone, Grassroot is hosting a special gala at the Sheraton Waikiki on Friday, Sept. 4, starting at 6 p.m. You're invited to join us for an evening of good food, inspiring speakers, and entertainment. This year, they will be featuring keynote speaker Adam Carolla, the comedian, podcast host, and New York Times bestselling author.

The Libertarian Party of Hawaii is raising funds for a shared table at the event, and the Grassroot Institute has graciously offered LPHI members a discounted rate. For more details, contact LPHISecretary@gmail.com or call us today.

Grassroot Institute of Hawaii & LPHI In the Same Fight

If you've read our party history, the name behind the Grassroot Institute will already be familiar to you. The Institute was founded in 2001 by Richard "Dick" Rowland who, six years earlier, led the reform-minded "Imua" faction that reshaped the Libertarian Party of Hawaii at its pivotal 1995 convention and served as The Libertarian Party of Hawaii Chair from 1995 to 1997. Rowland was, in a very real sense, a builder of both organizations. When he set aside the LPHI chairmanship in 1997, it was in part to turn his energy toward the free-market educational mission that would eventually become Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Rowland founded Grassroot on the conviction that, in his words, "If liberty is to be, it is up to me!" It's the same individual-first philosophy that has animated LPHI's work for more than fifty years.

The two organizations have crossed paths at key moments since. In 2005, future Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson spoke at a Grassroot Institute breakfast during his Hawaii visit, the same year he addressed audiences across the islands. Rowland himself ran twice for U.S. Senate and once for Honolulu City Council, and remained one of Hawaii's most tireless warriors for liberty until his passing in November 2020.

Today, the Grassroot Institute continues that work as a 501(c)(3) public-policy think tank, producing research on the issues that hit Hawaii families hardest including the Jones Act, the cost of living, government transparency, and accountable governance. Their mission statement: educating people about the principles of individual liberty, economic freedom, and limited, accountable government.

We are a political party and they are an educational institute; different tools for the same job, but we spring from the same roots and fight for the same Hawaii. Celebrating Grassroot's 25 years is, in part, celebrating our own shared history.

As Dick Rowland liked to say: Upward!

We hope you'll join us. Contact Us to reserve your seat at the LPHI table. Can't attend, but want to help us pay for the table anyway? Donate today!