MEDIA RELEASE

Andy Smith accepts a check from Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise President Cindy Hope.

The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise is pleased to announce that it has awarded a scholarship to a local student to attend the 2010 Hawaii Island Hoops College Prep Basketball Camp. Monies were raised from club members and a check was presented last week to Andy Smith, Director of Hawaii Island Hoops.

“As I have expressed to your club, I can’t thank you enough for helping our local youth.” says Andy. “During these tough economic times, it is organizations such as the Kona Sunrise Rotary Club that stepped-up and generously supported a worthy cause and helped provide a great opportunity for a local student-athlete. Since receiving our 501(c)(3) Non-Profit designation this year, I am pleased to notify the Kona Sunrise Rotary Club has been our first contributing donation”. The camp is scheduled for May 31 – June 4, 2010 at the Kekuaokalani Gym in Kailua-Kona.

The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise is the newest Rotary Club on the Island of Hawaii, and was chartered on April 9, 2009. The club currently has 25 active members, and has been involved in several local projects to help the youth in our community and around the world.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise, please visit www.konasunriserotary.org or email konasunriserotary@gmail.com. You may also call 936-9965. For information about Hawaii Island Hoops, visit www.hawaiiislandhoops.com or call Andy Smith at 937-3082.

MEDIA RELEASE

Project Compassion, a monthly fundraising event at the Kona Denny’s supports The Pregnancy Center on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Guest servers include former County Councilman and state Rep. Jim Rath, former Sen. Paul Whalen, and President/CEO of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Vivian Landrum. Celebrity hosts are Chuck and Doni Antone of the Kona Coast Chaplaincy and David Rees-Thomas, founding pastor of Calvary Community Church.

The Pregnancy Center will receive 100% of the special guest servers’ tips and 20% of food and beverage sales to help support its mission of helping men and women explore their options and empower them to make informed sexual and reproductive choices.

Project Compassion is a partnership of the Rotary Club of Kona, Denny’s Restaurant and local 501(c)3 non-profits in Hawaii. These monthly events have raised thousands of dollars since the beginning of 2009 to help the non-profits support their programs. All proceeds from the event go to the participating non-profits.

MEDIA RELEASE

The Hawaii Island Humane Society’s Yard Sale is tomorrow, Saturday, February 20 from 8 a.m. to noon in Waimea at the shelter’s Bark Park.

HIHS Waimea shelter is on the Kona-side of the Waimea-Kohala Airport entrance on Mamalahoa Highway.

All proceeds will benefit the many programs operated by the Hawaii Island Humane Society including community education and low-cost spay and neuter programs. Funds raised will also help offset rising costs associated with the care and feeding of thousands of pets that are abandoned or turned over to HIHS annually.

MEDIA RELEASE

Last Thursday, (Feb 11) Rowenn Cabalo, of Waimea, dedicated father of two young children, lost his life while surfing. The family is devastated and in desperate need of donations to help them through this crisis. Please help, Big Island!

A Celebration of Life for Rowenn will take place at 10 a.m, Saturday (Feb 20), at Anaeho‘omalu Bay.

Any donations GREATLY appreciated.

Please send to:
Chantelle Cabalo
P.O. Box 7045
Kamuela, HI 96743

Mahalo!
Shannon Rudolph

MEDIA RELEASE

Got stuff? Want stuff? Either way, mark your calendar for 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 20 for the Hawaii Island Humane Society’s Yard Sale in Waimea at the shelter’s Bark Park.

Donations are being accepted so it’s an excellent time for some early spring cleaning. And for bargain hunters, we can guarantee some excellent finds Feb. 20.

All proceeds will benefit the many programs operated by the Hawaii Island Humane Society including community education and low-cost spay and neuter programs. Funds raised will also help offset rising costs associated with the care and feeding of thousands of pets that are abandoned or turned over to HIHS annually.

Call 329-8002 if you have items to donate and need assistance with pickup. Otherwise, items may be dropped off in Keaau, Waimea or Kona at the Hawaii Island Humane Society shelters.

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

Helping Haiti is as easy as saying “Cheers!” At least it is if you visit Monettes restaurant at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel during the month of February.

Owners Mark and Scott Monette and Executive Chef Matthew Zubrod are raising money for Doctors Without Borders, specifically to benefit the groups work in Haiti following the catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake.

Monettes has pledged to keep its ‘Hawaii for Haiti’ promotion running through February, contributing $5 per Haitian Rum cocktail sold at the bar.

Chef Zubrod, who worked at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, put his Caribbean skills to work Jan. 25, cooking up a benefit feast at the restaurant that netted $900.

“A Jamaican lady I worked with gave me an awesome recipe for jerk. It works great for pork or chicken,” Zubrod said. “I was pretty fired up about those dishes.”

Mark Monette said, “Our restaurant exists on the Big Island in big part due to the 2006 earthquake here that so badly damaged Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. That earthquake led to a multi-million renovation of this legendary property and provided the opportunity for us to do business here.”

Monette said he feels a duty to do whatever he can to assist in the rebuilding of Haiti.

“We need to help out,” he said. “We are so fortunate in this country. We have every opportunity in the world. Other countries don’t have that, don’t have a way to get ahead.”

Monette said the restaurant also will accept checks for Doctors Without Borders and can provide tax receipts.

“We’ll send it all straight to them,” Monette said. “Every little bit will help so much.”

— Find out more:
www.doctorswithoutborders.com.
www.monetteshawaii.com/homepage.php or call 443-2850

Chef Matthew Zubrod's 'Hawaii for Haiti" benefit dinner menu - it was excellent! (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Papale Ula Ula O Ka’u (Red Hats of Ka’u), the Ka Lea Quilters and the Ka’u Golf Group are launching the 2010 fundraising season to benefit the Ka’u Hospital Emergency Department. One of the goals targeted for raising funds is to purchase an additional cardiac monitor for the Emergency Department.

Activities for this year’s fundraising season include:

* Friday, Feb. 5, starting at 10 a.m.: The Papale Ula Ula O Ka’u and the Ka Lea Quilters will be kicking off their 2010 fundraising season with a sale of their handmade crafts and homemade baked goods in the Ka’u Hospital Day Room. Call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072 for more information.

* Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: The Papale Ula Ula O Ka’u and the Ka Lea Quilters are selling their baked goods and crafts at Punaluu Black Sands Beach Pavilions 2 and 3.

* Friday, Feb 19, check in at 8:30 a.m., shotgun start 9:30 a.m.: The Ka’u Golf Group will be holding its 3rd annual golf tournament at the Volcano Golf Course. For more information, call Ron Young at 929-8390.

* Saturday, Feb. 27, 4-7 p.m.: The Papale Ula Ula O Ka’u and the Ka Lea Quilters are hosting their annual “Olde Spaghetti Feed” at the Naalehu Senior Center. Tickets are available for $10 at the Ka’u Farmers’ Market 7 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Saturdays. Please, no turn up and eat.

Last year the Papale Ula Ula O Ka’u and the Ka Lea Quilters raised $8,800 and the Ka’u Golf Group raised $11,000 toward the installation of piped-in oxygen for the Emergency Department.

During the last six years, the groups have raised funds to help the hospital purchase exam lights, two heart monitors, a portable x-ray machine, and a Pediatric Code Cart.

Tax-deductible contributions can be sent to:
Barbara Beatty
Ka’u Hospital Charitable Foundation – ER Fundraiser
P.O. Box 821
Naalehu, HI 96772

Ka’u Hospital and Rural Health Clinic is a 21-bed critical access hospital providing both acute and long-term care including 24-hour emergency services and a Family Practice medical clinic.
Ka’u Hospital is part of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a public benefit corporation established in 1996 by the State of Hawaii to fulfill the promise to provide quality, hometown healthcare.

For more information, visit: www.kau.hhsc.org

MEDIA RELEASE

The small business owners at Alii Gardens Marketplace are planning a giant rummage sale to benefit the victims of the Haiti earthquake disaster. The sale is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6.

All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross, UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders.

Residents are invited to donate items to this worthy cause.

Items may be dropped off at Alii Gardens Marketplace between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 through Saturday, Feb. 6.

Alii Gardens Marketplace is on the mauka side of the road at 75-6129 Alii Drive, 5 miles south of the Kailua pier near just before Royal Poinciana Street.

For more information, contact Eric von Platen Luder at 987-8122.

MEDIA RELEASE

What’s more rewarding: making the journey or reaching destination? For triathletes who have participated in the ultimate test of endurance known as Ironman, the answer might surprise you.

There’s an immense sense of personal victory gained by those who break the tape at the conclusion of the 140.6-mile race. But the realization that every stroke, step and rotation of a bicycle tire plays a significant role in getting athletes closer to the finish line challenges the assumption that the destination offers a greater reward than the journey.

Indeed, those closest to Ironman know that the journey spans well beyond 140.6 miles, consumes more than just a single day and affects each athlete in a very unique and personal way. In 2001, Denver-based investment firm Janus brought an even deeper sense of personalization and fulfillment to this journey by creating the Janus Charity Challenge, a fundraising program that enables athletes add more value to their experience while enriching communities and lives.

Offering athletes the flexibility to raise money for the non-profit of their choice, the ease of online fundraising tools and tips, and the promise of additional donations from Janus to the charities of the top fundraisers, the Janus Charity Challenge attracted 57 participants in its first year and raised just over $500,000 for 40 charitable organizations.

Today, 10 years into its Ironman journey, the Charity Challenge has helped more than 1,000 athletes raise $40 million for 1,200 charities throughout the United States, suggesting that while completion of an Ironman is a life-changer, participation in the Janus Charity Challenge is a life-enhancer.

“When you think about those who benefit from the money you’ve raised, you can’t help but feel better about your race,” explains Jim Yanoschik, a ten-time participant in the Janus Charity Challenge who has collectively raised $4.3 million for two charities.

Athletes Steven S. Spitz and Mike Monroe agree. “[The Janus Charity Challenge] provided me with a higher purpose above and beyond my racing goals,” says Spitz, while Monroe insists that as a result of fundraising, “the race was much more rewarding and fulfilling.”

Since the Charity Challenge’s inaugural year, the numbers have steadily grown, and it is now Janus’ signature giving program. Even in the face of economic adversity, the program has made notable strides, attracting 254 participants in 2009 and raising more than $6.7 million for a wide variety of charities benefitting cancer victims, heart-attack survivors, the homeless, sight-impaired, paraplegics, diabetics and more.

While some athletes raise staggering amounts of money through the program, Casey Cortese, Assistant Vice President of Sponsorships and Community Relations at Janus, is quick to point out that, when it comes to fundraising, there is no amount that is insignificant.

“Any way you look at it, fundraising is a winning proposition,” she said. “It raises money and awareness for charities and it assures a deeper, more meaningful race experience for athletes.”

Anathea Powell, a two-time finisher at Ironman Coeur d’Alene and fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders couldn’t agree more.

“My experience with the Janus Charity Challenge has given me a new perspective on life,” she said. “For me, completing an Ironman is not just a personal goal, but an opportunity to contribute to something bigger.”

With more than $40 million raised since the program’s inception, it’s clear that, together, Ironman and Janus make a powerful combination. The same passion, focus and discipline that help athletes reach their destination help Janus uncover great investment opportunities. And when these qualities are directed toward fundraising, they have the potential to continue generating tremendous results.

To learn more about how the Janus Charity Challenge can enhance an athlete’s Ironman journey, go to januscharitychallenge.com.

For information on the diverse investment products and services offered at Janus, visit janus.com or speak with your investment advisor.

— Find out more:
ironman.com

MEDIA RELEASE

The Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is hosting our next volunteer FOREST RESTORATION PROJECT

Saturday, January 23rd from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This month we will be removing invasive plants in Kipuka Ki on the Mauna Loa strip of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. We will be working under a canopy of mature manele (Soapberry) trees in an area with a diverse native understory, including some unusual and rare species. Our primary focus will be pulling Jerusalem Cherry which has been spreading into this area. We will learn about the Park’s native forest restoration program and control of invasive plants in Special Ecological Areas.

Volunteers should be at least 14 years old, and be able to hike at least one mile over uneven terrain covered by slippery leaf litter with rocks and logs and through brush in an area with a moderate slope. Sturdy walking shoes and long pants are required, along with gear for variable weather conditions (be prepared for sun or rain with a hat, raincoat, sunscreen, etc.) plus drinking water and a snack.

Because the area has a wide variety of native plants, we will have to be careful in moving through the understory and be sure of the identity of what we pull up. Also imperative is scrubbing the soles of one’s shoes prior to arrival on site, in order to ensure outside dirt and invasive species seeds aren’t tracked in.

Our goal is a crew of 16 people, and pre-registration is required. All participants will need to sign Park volunteer forms and a Friends release form, and have an adult co-sign for those under 18. Be aware that there can be VOG or high levels of SO2 in the area. If it is too heavy or the Park is closed, we’ll cancel the project and try to notify everyone in advance.

***If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Patty Kupchak at kupchakk001@hawaii.rr.com or (808) 261-2585 by Monday evening, January 18th***

Come join us for a wonderful opportunity to enjoy our National Park and participate in native forest
recovery!

Patty Kupchak, Nancy Chaney, & Mark Johnson
Forest Restoration Co-Chairs

P.S. Please save the dates for our upcoming Forest Restoration Projects on Saturday, February 20th & Saturday, March 20th.

Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Hawai’i Volcanoes Institute
(808) 985-7373
PO Box 653
Volcano, HI 96785

admin@fhvnp.org

Please visit our website: www.fhvnp.org

MEDIA RELEASE

Gov. Linda Lingle is encouraging residents to nominate fellow Hawaii citizens for the Citizen Service Above Self Honors. The annual award presented by The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation recognizes and honors ordinary Americans who become extraordinary through their indomitable courage and selflessness.

“Every day, ordinary citizens do extraordinary things in Hawaii,” Lingle said. “Through selfless actions and great compassion, these ordinary heroes save lives, improve our communities and help those in need. It is important to honor the selfless service and heroism of Hawaii’s citizens.”

Citizen Service Above Self Honors are unique because they are presented to unsung heroes by our nation’s most honored heroes – the fewer than 100 Medal of Honor recipients who comprise the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Hawaii residents can nominate any United States civilian who has clearly demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice for others whether through a single act of extraordinary heroism at risk to one’s life, or through a prolonged series of selfless acts. The nominee’s actions must epitomize the concept of “service before self” and must be formed “above and beyond” one’s professional or vocational area of responsibility or conduct.

Nominations must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 12. Nominations may be submitted online via the Citizen Service Above Self Honors Web site at www.CitizenServiceAboveSelfHonors.org

All nominations will be considered by a review board consisting of Medal of Honor recipients. Finalists from each state will be selected and announced March 9. From among these state finalists, three finalists will be selected to receive the Citizen Service Above Self Honors at a ceremony at Arlington Cemetery in the shadow of the Tomb of the Unknowns on Thursday, March 25.

MEDIA RELEASE

Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens will offer its annual docent (volunteer) training course at the zoo for six weeks beginning February 4, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Docents will have the opportunity to share zoo information by leading tours, operating the information booth and by offering presentations to the public. A year-long commitment of two (2) volunteer hours a week is asked of all trained docents.

The course fee is $55. The deadline to register is January 15, 2010.

For more information or to register contact Terry Moniz at 959-7224 or e-mail tmoniz@co.hawaii.hi.us.