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Pualu Awards tap community dedication
Community Education Award
The honoree in this category has been teaching and sharing her love of music for the past 40 years. As a well-educated music teacher trained in classical music and theory, Gloria Juan-Tapa‘atoutai returned to her cultural roots and applied and taught her love of local music to her students and peers. She’s been described as “a pure soul, and everyone who comes in contact with her feels her positive energy and sees her guiding light.”
Environmental Awareness Award
Rob Pacheco is no stranger to environmental organizations. His company, Hawaii Forest & Trail, founded with wife Cindy, adopted a specific conservation approach to business philosophies and practices. As a guiding member and supporter of many conservation groups such as Cave Conservancy of Hawai‘i, this individual imparts his core philosophies and practices on a local level.
Believing that conservation begins with education, Pacheco practices this credo year round by working with students on conservation projects, sponsoring free field trips, participating in tree planting and other numerous community service projects. In his spare time his sits on the Board of TREE Hawaii, the Hawaii Island Land Board, is a DLNR member and chairman of the Mauna Kea Management Board.
Business Innovation Award
In December of 2007, an ordinance establishing the Kailua Village Business Improvement District (KVBID) was finalized. The first business improvement district on the island, its mission is to make Kailua Village a better place to invest, work, live and play. KVBID is a collaborative effort between business, government and area residents to improve the quality of life and economic vibrancy of the Village.
First-year goals are focused on “clean and safe” initiatives that include janitorial services, security officers, landscape maintenance and lighting. As president of KVBID, Eric von Platen Luder accepted the award.
Lifetime Service Award
This year’s winner has been described as “a woman with a purpose and a mission.” In her 80 years plus, she has never slowed down. For over 20 years, Alfreida Fujita has helped to preserve and perpetuate the Kona coffee farmer’s history and legacy through the award-winning Kona Coffee Living History Farm Tour. Since 1970, she has served on the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s board of directors and created the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s Heritage Park and International Marketplace.
When she is not working at the family’s Kimura’s Lauhala Shop, this recipient also volunteers her time to the Kona Professional Business Women’s Club, Pulama la Kona Heritage Preservation Council, Daifukuji Soto Mission and the Hawaii Federation Business & Professional Women’s Club.
Culture & Heritage Award
Recognized for its stewardship of Keauhou, Kamehameha Investment Corporation and Bishop Holdings has embarked on a monumental restoration campaign to reconstruct the venerable Hapaiali’i and Ke’eku Heiau and to complete research on nearby Kapuanoni Heiau. The recently opened Keauhou Kahalu’u Heritage Center at Keauhou Shopping Center reveals the history Keauhou’s land, cultural stewardship and the dramatic connections with the ali’i.
Landowners often wrestle to find a balance between cultural responsibility and the need for economics. After more than five years of community discussion and research, Keauhou is well on its way to achieving its vision of a resort where culture is the new business model and cultural sites and educational activities restore Hawaiian presence within its community. Valery O’Brien and Mahealani Pai accepted this award on behalf of Kamehameha Investment Corporation and Bishop Holdings.
Visitor Industry Marketing Awards
The first recipient in this category proves the notion size doesn’t matter. This year, this 125-room Kona Village Resort sought ways to garner attention, even without a mulit-million dollar budget. Utilizing its unique assets, Kona Village was able to secure film crews from The Fine Living Network, The Food Network and The Travel Channel to bring film crews to the Big Island and showcase not only its unique property, but offer valuable exposure for the entire island.
By employing creative marketing partnerships, Kona Village helps ensure a stronger marketing base for future visitor numbers to the entire island. Rodger MacDonald, director of sales and marketing accepted the award for the resort.
The second award in this category goes to a non-profit organization that has been contributing to the community of Kailua-Kona for over 15 years. The mission of this organization is to “protect and preserve our Kailua Pier and make it more welcoming.” It accomplishes much more than that. With the assistance of over 40 volunteers, Destination Kona Coast (DKC) monitors the greeting of every cruise ship to Kailua Bay. Visitors receive flowers, maps, information on historic and cultural landmarks, shopping tips and the warm aloha that is their trademark.
When funding was not available from the state, DKC raised the money to erect the semi-permanent shade pavilion that is shared by cruise ship passengers, sporting regattas, tournaments and the yearly Ford Ironman Triathlon. In addition, when Homeland Security required concrete barriers be erected on the pier, DKC hired local artists to paint the barrier with murals of local marine life, flowers, paddlers and the welcoming “Kamakahonu Aloha.” Destination Kona Coast’s Board President Linda Zabolski accepted the award.
Chamber Member of the Year Award
The 2008 recipient is a rather unique “group.” It presented the KKCC Board with a gutsy, never-before-done idea and said, “We can do it.” And do it they did! Bringing the Chamber’s annual membership magazine, The Source, in-house took courage, precise planning and lots of hard work. But the Marketing Committee had no doubts and put together an expanded, quality and progressive publication on time and under budget. The committee carefully researched like publications, scrutinized past editions of The Source and asked the membership what they wanted to see in its magazine. The result was a new look and feel, a creative design and fact-filled pages with information for both resident and visitor alike. The Chamber continually receives praise on this year’s publication and would like to acknowledge our Marketing Committee for a job well done! Committee Chairs Fern Gavelek and Robin Dutson accepted the award; other committee members include Sharon Sakai, Barbara Garcia, Chris Hamby, Kelly Noles, Ed Gibson, Kirk Shorte, WavenDean Fernandes and Penn Henderson.
