LIHUE — Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami was surprised when he ran into Milton Yamase on Thursday, waving a sign with other National Federation for the Blind members.

“We used to play together,” Kawakami said as he took a position next to Yamase and members of the Kauai Lions Club.

Yamase, formerly a high school football player, said he caught COVID-19, and his blindness is a result of that.

The group of about a dozen sign wavers, including members of the Kauai Lions Club — who also recently supported the American Cancer Society at the August Relay for Life and hosted a fundraising Boogie Wonderland — braved the forecasted morning showers to honor a tradition of raising awareness for the blind on what used to be known as White Cane Day.

The threat of showers relocated the rally participants f

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