Stories

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A night to honor Super CW

I want to share an event announcement that’s close to my heart. My Dîner en Blanc event partner, Malie, and I have been working together to create events for over a decade, and part of what has made those events special is the people who have shown up not just as guests but as partners. It was the leaders who set the mood and the friends who helped create the vibe from the start, turning nights into meaningful traditions filled with magic.

One of those people was Christa Wittmier.

Christa was our friend, resident DJ, and party starter, and she had a rare gift for reading a crowd and making every single person feel as if the night were made for them. She was part of what made Dîner en Blanc feel like home.

Before she passed, Christa channeled that same energy and generosity into something that will outlast all of us: the Aloha Cancer Project, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by cancer, with a focus on compassion, community, and holistic approaches to healing. It’s exactly the kind of thing Christa would have built.

This year, the Aloha Cancer Project is hosting its inaugural Aloha Tequila Festival, a fundraiser at International Marketplace on June 20th, and we’d love for our DEB community to show up for it the way you’ve always shown up for us.

It’s a night out with purpose. Good drinks, good people, and a chance to support something that honors Christa’s legacy in the most fitting way possible.

Get your tickets: alohatequilafest.com

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Getting Personal: My Deep Dive on “Da Best Hawai‘i Unedited”

Hey everyone! If you’ve followed my career over the years, whether you were hanging out with me on the radio at Star 101.9, waking up with me on the morning news, or seeing me at local events, you know I’m usually the one asking questions. But recently, I got to sit on the other side of the microphone, and it turned into something truly special.

I recently sat down with my good friend Olena Heu for an episode of Da Best Hawaii Unedited. We’ve known each other for 26 years, dating back to our early days in radio, and catching up with her felt like no time had passed at all.

Olena is a fantastic interviewer and such a warm, kind human being. She creates a space that is so welcoming, which is probably why this ended up being the longest and most personal interview I’ve ever done. I had an absolute blast doing this, and she really got me to open up about things I rarely talk about publicly.

I really hope you’ll take some time to check out the episode. It’s authentic, it’s raw, and it’s just two old friends talking story about the wild ride of life.

Watch the full episode here: Da Best Hawaii Unedited – Maleko McDonnell

(You can also listen in on Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts!)

Mahalo for all the support over the years!

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Race Announcer

Maleko McDonnell announcing at the Honolulu Marathon finish line

There’s a moment at the finish line that doesn’t get talked about enough.

It’s not when the elites cross. It’s not the first hour. It’s somewhere around hour five or six, when the sun is past its peak and the crowd has quieted, and a runner comes around the last corner — someone who’s been out there since before dawn, someone who maybe hasn’t done this before, someone who made a promise to themselves months ago that they’re about to keep.

That’s the moment I live for. That’s what race announcing is actually about.

Major Races

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being behind the mic at some of Hawaii’s most iconic endurance events:

  • Honolulu Marathon — One of the largest marathons in the world, drawing 30,000+ runners from across the globe each December
  • Hapalua Half-Marathon — The premier half-marathon in Hawaii, bringing thousands of runners to the streets of Honolulu
  • Iron Man Hawaii — The World Championship. The standard. The race that defines what endurance sports can be.
  • Additional events — Various 5Ks, 10Ks, triathlons, and community fun runs across Oahu and the neighbor islands

What Makes a Great Race Announcer

The technical part — knowing the route, tracking the leaders, keeping the energy up for hours — that’s table stakes. Anyone with broadcast training can do the technical part.

What separates a great race announcer from a functional one is this: you have to genuinely care about every single person in the field. Not just the winners. Not just the fast ones. The back-of-the-pack runner who almost didn’t sign up. The first-timer who trained through an injury. The 70-year-old finishing their twelfth marathon.

Every one of them deserves a moment. My job is to make sure they get one.

I also believe in preparation. I know the course. I know the history. I know the names of the local favorites and the returning champions. When someone crosses that line, I want to be ready to say something true about them — not just fill the air.

Let’s Work Together

Organizing a race or endurance event in Hawaii? I’d love to be part of it.

Whether you’re building a brand-new event or looking to elevate an existing one, a great announcer changes the atmosphere. It changes how runners feel about the experience. It changes whether they come back.

Book Maleko for your race →