By The Way

GIFTS&GRANTS

The Kokua for Katrina Fundraiser Event held at Kapono’s was a nine hour musical concert, with a two-hour, state-wide live broadcast and donation call center on all of Hawaii’s television broadcast stations and featured “the Best of the Best” of Hawaii’s musicians, entertainers and celebrities. A list of these generous companies and individuals can be viewed at kokuaforkatrina.org. Henry Kapono reports the fundraiser donated more than $100,000 to The American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter, for the direct benefit of victims of Katrina.

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Aloha Petroleum recently joined forces with Aloha Harvest to aid in feeding Hawaii’s hungry by donating $6,000 worth of fuel. Aloha Harvest is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting and delivering donated food to organizations that feed Hawaii’s hungry. This donation will fuel the Aloha Harvest truck that is used for food delivery. Pictured left to right: Chris Chun, Aloha Harvest Executive Director, and Tom Grimes, Aloha Petroleum Vice President/CFO and Aloha Harvest voluteer board member, visited AP’s Dillingham station for the truck’s first fill-up.

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Starbucks Coffee, the Salvation Army and the Lokahi Giving Project are once again brewing holiday cheer for Hawaii’s children and elderly by launching the “Give a Gift, Receive a Latte” program at Starbucks Coffee stores in Hawaii (excluding airport terminal locations and Barnes & Nobles Cafes) from November 21 through December 26, 2005. Customers can drop off a new unwrapped gift (suggested value of $5.00 or greater) at Starbucks Coffee and receive a coupon for a complimentary tall Starbucks coffee or tea beverage. This special partnership between Starbucks, the Salvation Army and KHON-TV helps bring holiday cheer to families in need.

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The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center raised $250,000 at its first major fundraising event held on Saturday, October 22 at Lanikuhonua in Ko Olina.

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The March of Dimes raised $463,000 at the 2005 Governors’ Ball. More than 800 people attended the black tie event, which honored Robin K. Campaniano and AIG Hawaii Insurance Company, Inc. for their dedication to community service. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, presented Campaniano, president and CEO of AIG Hawaii, with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award for Distinguished Community Service.

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Parents and Children Together (PACT) has been awarded funding for youth substance abuse prevention in the Kaneohe and Kahaluu areas from the Federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program of SAMSHA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. PACT will receive $100,000 per year, renewable for five years, for community-wide efforts to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by school-aged youth in the 96744 zipcode.

AWARDS&ACCOLADES

The Hawaii Dodge Chrysler Jeep Dealers Association dealerships will participate in a national effort to collect care packages through the end of the year to send to military deployed overseas as part of “Operation Gratitude,” a national nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, assembling and mailing more than 30,000 care packages to deployed troops for delivery by the Holidays.  “Operation Gratitude” will begin collecting donations at Jeep dealerships around Hawaii immediately. Supporters are encouraged to drop off snack and entertainment items ranging from energy bars to tuna salad kits, from CDs to DVDs. The list also includes: disposable cameras, pre-paid phone cards, handheld electronic games, commercially wrapped individual packets of trail mix, beef jerky, nuts, sunflower seeds, candy and commercially sealed lip balm.