To sum up the events of the past two weeks in the Gulf Coast, two words come to mind: living nightmare.

As I watched in horror for days after Hurricane Katrina hit, I could feel my tears welling up as I saw thousands of people suffering, devastated and broken. My tears were for the women who lost their children, the children who lost their fathers, the fathers who lost their brothers — the agony went on and on.

The talk of desperation seemed endless, and I sat thousands of miles away — feeling helpless and hopeless. I was outraged and deeply saddened that so many of our fellow Americans were allowed to die in the aftermath of Katrina. As I listened to the news, I heard story after story of heroic efforts among leaders of local, state and federal government, school principals and others — many of whom were and still are utterly overwhelmed by the disaster.

It was then I realized: I can help. We all can help.

In the wake of disaster, communities pull together. In Hawai'i, we know this. We live aloha. Moreover, Hawai'i residents want to help. We want to make a difference in the lives of people who lost so much when Katrina roared ashore along the Gulf Coast.

How do we help those affected communities feel safe? How do we help those individuals seeking some kind of relief, some kind of future? Our community, away from the Gulf, struggles with another frustration, seeking means to soothe the afflicted. There is no substitute for going out from one's door with hot soup and blankets, rushing to the corner, and bringing corporal relief there and then to someone who is suffering.

All of us have a personal involvement, if we scratch hard enough. There are people from New Orleans seeking refuge in Hawai'i. As a small-business owner, I encourage others to stand next to me to do their part in helping the victims of Katrina. I strongly believe Hawai'i plays a key role in relief efforts.

To me, distance has no bearing in this situation. We may be thousands of miles away from the Gulf Coast; but this is Hawai'i's chance to shine. This is what we are all about, sharing the aloha spirit and working together; we know the true meaning of kokua and bringing it to those in need on the Mainland.

Today my company will kick off a month's worth of fundraising efforts, starting with a benefit featuring top local entertainers at The O Lounge, 1349 Kapi'olani Blvd., from 5 p.m. to midnight. My hope is that by contributing a portion of my nightly business proceeds, I will be able to raise money while also collecting goods to help victims of this disaster.

I believe we all need to step forward to make an attempt to fill this need, whether it's through coordinating efforts to "give" or just simply dropping off a canned good to my business or any other place collecting for the victims.

Hawai'i's arms are open wide to those people who have been most affected by the destruction and loss brought to the Gulf Coast by Katrina. People in this area already have shown they care in ways large and small. And if a plane filled with hurricane survivors touches down here in coming days, they will find a caring community eager to lighten the load for those who have suffered so much.

Sometimes being so far away, we tend to think our little contributions don't count, but I believe in this case every little bit counts. The reality is our turn will come. And when it does happen, wouldn't we want everyone else to do the same for us?

Elizabeth Hata Watanabe is the owner of The O Lounge. She wrote this commentary for The Advertiser. For more information on Watanabe's relief efforts, call 944-8436.