The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) is a public foundation created on February 18, 1986 in honor of Hawaii's greatest athlete -- three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, whose Olympic career spanned 20 years.

The Foundation's objective is to keep Duke's memory alive by helping the young people who he spent his lifetime teaching, in the hope that some of them would someday emulate Duke's remarkable accomplishments.

The ODKF is the successor of two other foundations. The Duke Kahanamoku Foundation was founded in 1963 during Duke's lifetime by his many friends to perpetuate his name and assist young people in his areas of interest -- water sports, police work and international relations.

The Outrigger Foundation was founded in 1981 by the Outrigger Canoe Club to formalize a program of grants for participants in sports.

The two foundations merged officially on February 18, 1986 into the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.

The purpose of the ODKF is to encourage athletes and scholars whose endeavors will contribute to the growth and development of athletics in Hawaii; to support athletic events and participation by teams and individuals in local, national and international competition; to support individuals in furthering their education; and to assist in preserving, perpetuating and developing sports that have a special cultural or historical significance to Hawaii.