On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19, 2026, the City of Tacoma honored Clarence “Boy” Chun Fook with its MLK Jr. Community Service Award for Lifetime Service, recognizing decades of quiet, consistent work grounded in culture, family, and service.

The award was presented during Tacoma’s annual MLK Day celebration at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. Boy was joined by his wife Bren, their children and grandchildren, and members of the extended Kikaha O Ke Kai ohana, a community that reflects much of his life’s work.

Raised in Hawaiʻi, Boy spoke about lessons learned when he was young, lessons about dreaming, responsibility, and taking action. He emphasized that dreams only matter when people commit to doing the work behind them, a message that aligned naturally with the day’s focus on service and collective responsibility.

Since helping found Kikaha O Ke Kai in Tacoma in 1996, Boy has built far more than an outrigger canoe club. He has created a space where families gather, culture is practiced daily, and people of all ages find belonging on the water. What began as a small group of paddlers has grown into a 501(c)(3) organization that serves hundreds of adults and children across the region.

Boy’s influence extends well beyond Tacoma. As longtime president of the Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Canoe Association, he helped guide the growth of outrigger paddling throughout the Northwest, connecting clubs across Washington, Oregon, Canada, and Hawaiʻi. Kikaha crews have represented Tacoma in races across the Pacific, carrying both the city and Hawaiian culture with them.

Throughout the ceremony and nomination process, speakers reflected on Boy’s steady leadership and humility. Even during challenging periods, including the pandemic, he remained a constant presence, organizing, mentoring, and ensuring the community stayed connected. His leadership has always been hands-on, rooted in care rather than recognition.

When accepting the award, Boy redirected the spotlight toward others. He thanked the Puyallup Tribe and other Tribal Nations for their stewardship of the waters, acknowledged fellow paddling leaders, and expressed deep gratitude for the community that has supported him. He described himself not as the source of the work, but as someone entrusted to help carry it forward.

For Hawaiʻi, Boy’s story is one of values carried outward, shaped by the ocean and grounded in family. For Tacoma, it is a reminder that the strongest communities are built through presence, consistency, and service. On MLK Day, those threads came together to honor a man whose life’s work reflects the very ideals the day represents.