News
Dogwood Initiative 2001 Update
Dogwood Initiative 2001 Update
 
In 2001 the Rotary Club of Hilo donated seeds and seedlings towards Hiroshima, Japan's Dogwood Initiative 2001 project.  In 2004 these were planted along the Kyobashi-gawa River to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the U.S.-Japan relationship.  Recently the club received this update of the success of this project to symbolize peace.
 
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Busy, Busy, Busy in August!
FOUR NEW MEMBERS!
Katie Osborne, Y Hata
 
Chris Corley, Geologist
 
Danielle Bratton, Salvation Army
 
Jacob Bratton, Salvation Army
 
ROTARY WORKING TO FINISH UP KUA O KA LA IN TIME FOR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
 
August 4 - Work Continues!
Keiki (left) co-founder of the school, takes a moment to share “Honi” with hard working Rotarian Jeremiah Leonard as work continues at the School location.
 
August 4 - Last Weekend Work Day
Rotarians come together on Sunday - Benson Medina (South Hilo Club), Randy Hart (Hilo Club & Ass’t District Governor), Win Schoneman (District Governor) and Ron Cutler (Pahoa Sunset Club) take a moment to laugh.
 
August 8 - First Day of School
Elementary students start arriving and can’t wait to explore their new classrooms! 
Pau just in time!
 
Our Sister Rotary Club from Japan!
Thanks to our beloved Russ Oda, the Rotary Club of Hilo has enjoyed a nearly 50 year association with the Rotary Club of Hiroshima South, sponsoring exchange students and visiting each others’ clubs.
 
August 6 - Memorial Flowers sent to Hiroshima as a token
of goodwill and friendship.
Since 1971, our club has sent flowers for the Cenotaph at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in remembrance of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima.
 
August 17 - Hiroshima South members and students arrive at the Hilo Airport!

Our Club Members greet our visiting Japanese friends, presenting lei and posing for a group photo with a combined Rotary Club banner.
 
August 17 - Dinner at the Yacht Club
Posing outside (in the dark!) at the Yacht Club, our Rotary Japanese friends and our club members display a “Big Check” from our club to theirs to help in the recovery of the disastrous flooding in Japan.
 
August 18 - Fun at the Annual Steak Fry!
Rotarians chow down on steak, sushi, vegetables... and of course some liquid aloha at a packed party.  Our Japanese visitors, many tired after a “rough day of golf”, mingle with our club members
 
August 18 - SHAKA and KANPAI!
Two of our fellow Japanese Rotarians salute our on-going friendship and mutual support with a sake KANPAI! and a local style SHAKA during the dinner.  Golf winners were announced, food was consumed, fun was had by all.
 
August 18 - Meanwhile with the Students....
Despite an amazing amount of rain, our visiting Japanese students were joined by the Waiakea High School Interact Club (Rotary Junior!) for fun and adventures. Piling onto a sailboat, these international friends had a great time!
 
 
 
Rotary Sponsors A Christmas Craft Fair
 
Are you a local crafter?  Want to join a large group of "kama'aina" folks who make and sell their own items.  No re-sellers are allowed.  And the booth fee is a very good deal.  Email me (see the graphic) if you are interested.
Help Pahoa through Rotary d5000!
Rotary has the ability to handle large scale relief operations!
We're glad that so many people and organizations are donating to funds that are helping the People of Pahoa. Here's your chance to donate to a ROTARY fund that will help w-a-a-a-y beyond the immediate needs. Homes have burned, other homes are damaged by earthquakes, and still other homes are buried under lava. Donate now at: rotaryd5000.org. Look for the article about Pahoa with this image and use the DONATE BUTTON. Let's all come together to help Pahoa in a big way.
JULY begins a New Rotary Year
It all depends on our members!
Keith Okamoto, our new Club President for July 2018-June 2019 knows that it's our members who work hard and strive to "Be the Inspiration"... Rotary International's new theme for the new Rotary year. According to Keith, our members are a diverse group of business, community and civic leaders. Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. We welcome you to join us at our Friday lunch meetings or on our various projects.
 
And how could we do it without NEW MEMBERS?
Bobby Dugar, Coldwell Banker Day-lum Properties
 
Dan Turner, Pacific Tec Lending
 
Jim "Kimo" Becker, Financial Services
 
 
Aloha to one of our own.
Russ Oda
Russ Oda, a friend and our Rotary Club member for over 50 years, always had a smile and usually a great joke every time we saw him. A past President and the founder of our sister Rotary Club of Hiroshima South, Russ also had been an active member of the Sunao Wada Foundation that works to bring Japanese students to Hilo and to send Hilo students to Hiroshima.
Aloha, Russ, you will be missed by all of us!
 
Rotary is about FUN!
July 11 - Membership Mixer at Chapter 17
Yes, Rotarians are out in our community helping with projects, but it’s also about fun! These “mixers” not only allow potential new members to meet our group, it also gives us a chance to get to know each other.
 
Rotary is also about helping kids!
July 20 & 27 - School Supplies Gathered for Salvation Army distribution
Bags and boxes of pencils, erasers, and composition books brought in by our club members were presented to Danielle of the Salvation Army. Many of our island keiki are in need of school supplies!
 
And, of course, Rotary is about helping our community -
in this case, helping Kua O Ka La Charter School
 
Rotary Knows How to Help With Disaster Relief - Focus on Kua O Ka La
 
  Many people may be familiar with Rotary International’s world-wide work helping endangered communities with clean water and educational support for children… among many other effective solutions to the problems of struggling communities. In fact, Rotary International rates 100% for financial accountability and transparency in administering donated funds by Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org)

    So it’s no surprise that local Rotary Clubs here in East Hawaii have banded together to raise funds for Puna. The “Rotary Fund for Puna Lava Relief” was started within days of the first eruptions. Housed through the Hawai’i Rotary District’s Foundation, all donations are tax deductible as the foundation is a 501©(3) accredited organization. (donate at www.rotaryd5000.org)
 
So... the question for Ron Cutler (above) of the Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset, was how to use the donated funds that would make a significant improvement to areas affected by the lava. Kua O Ka La Charter School was a large part of the answer. The school campus was overrun by lava. Where to have classes starting in early August? Kindergarten through 6th grade could meet at a building on the Nani Mau Gardens grounds, but major work to rehabilitate the run down building was needed. All 5 East Hawaii Rotary Clubs have been working to get the new “campus” ready by the start of school. Susie Osborne, Head of the School, (pictured above with Ron) is thrilled to have so many Rotarians help along side of her school staff and volunteers.
I mua Kua O Ka La!
 
JUNE ENDS OUR "ROTARY YEAR"
JUNE ACTIVITIES CAP OUR GREAT ROTARY YEAR!
 
"BE THE INSPIRATION" IS OUR NEW YEAR'S INTERNATIONAL THEME
   Rotary International, with over 1.2 million members worldwide and over 35,000 clubs, has a mission to help “people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves”. And each new Rotary year, there is a new theme. Ending in June, last year’s theme was “Making a Difference”; this new year the world-wide theme is “Be the Inspiration”.
Rotary is People of Action
   Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. Through Rotary clubs world-wide, people from all continents and cultures come together to exchange ideas, and form friendships and professional connections while making a difference in their backyards and around the world. Helping to end polio, seeking new ways to create peace, bolstering education, creating new sources of clean water... all these tasks and many more are projects of Rotary.  Want to be the “Inspiration”? Consider  joining with Rotary and find your own “inspiration.” Meet new people, help create change in the world and pitch in to assist right here in East Hawaii. E komo mai.
 
Inspiring in Our Community
June 16 ~ Small-House Project in Pahoa for Lava-impacted Evacuees
An amazing collection of people gathered to put together small housing for the Lava impacted Evacuees, and representatives of the Rotary Club of Hilo were on hand to help with painting and erecting of canopy tents.
 
Inspiring in the World -- Fiji
   For 10+ years, our club has been helping out in Fiji... with a focus on the Nadi Centre for Special Education. We've helped build a building and supplied school supplies.Several years ago a major hurricane hit Fiji. Our club, additional Hawai’i Rotary clubs, Hawaii’s Rotary District 5000 and others in the community raised over $80,000 to provide SHELTER BOXES for the Fijian residents who no longer had a roof over their heads
 
The Hilo Brewfest, our annual fundraiser, a great success!
June 23 - A major Party-on-the-beautiful-Bay with over 1100 people!
It really was fun to meet friends, enjoy beer tasting, great food and rockin’ entertainment while also providing our club with net profits that go to helping people right here in East Hawai’i. Added to our reoccurring beneficiaries that help train new doctors and provide needed items to abused children, this year we’ve included help for Puna Lava Relief.
 
 

Malama Honua
celebrating Our 95th Anniversary

The Hilo Rotary Club Foundation presents a donation to Pwo Navigator and Captain of the Polynesian Voyaging Canoe, Hokule'a, to help fund their educational programs on their Malama Honua worldwide voyage.  (Left to right:  Bruce Blankenfeld, Donald Demuth of the Hilo Rotary Club Foundation, and Club President, Wally Wong)
 

Edmund Olson is recognized with The Rotary Club of Hilo's Malama Honua award for his efforts in caring for our aina.
 
     “Malama Honua” (to care for our earth) is the theme that we have chosen to celebrate our club's 95th anniversary.  Along with Rotary International's theme -- “Be a Gift to the World” -- we are inspired as we start this new Rotary year.
     President Wally Wong has sought out community service projects that will build a more sustainable community.  Projects such as building a vegetable garden for residents of a shelter to clearing illegally dumped trash in a vacant cul-de-sac area in Hilo.  We hope to be an example to other organizations and the community, that in order to stop and smell the flowers, we have to occasionally bend down to pull the weeds or pick up the trash.
     These are just a few of the many projects that the Rotary Club of Hilo has planned as it follows the Polynesian Voyaging canoe, Hokule’a, on its Malama Honua sail around the world.  On its worldwide voyage, the Hokule’a will grow and join the global movement towards a more sustainable world.
     Two individuals who embody the principles of Malama Honua were honored at our Officer Installation:  Bruce Blankenfeld, Pwo navigator and Captain of the Hokule’a for his leadership and efforts to educate our youth and  Edmund C. Olson of the Edmund C. Olson Trust II for providing agricultural opportunities and building a sustainable future for Hawaii Island.
 
 

Please Join Us

Service Above Self - Since 1920

We meet Fridays at 12:00 PM
Hilo Hawaiian Hotel
71 Banyan Drive
Hilo, HI  96720
United States
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Upcoming Events
 
Meeting Responsibilities
September 21, 2018
Reporter
Tanouye, Jen
 
Photos
Anderson, Eric
 
Greeter
McGilvray, Kathleen
 
Greeter
Osborne, Katie
 
September 28, 2018
Reporter
Chu, The Don
 
Photographer
Liu, Anna
 
Greeter
Tajiri, Helene
 
Greeter
Prose, Marcia
 
October 5, 2018
Reporter
Munro, Susan
 
Greeter
Ichinose, Connie
 
Greeter
Jimenez, Tina
 
October 12, 2018
Reporter
Cheney, Jim
 
Photos
Meyers, Charlene
 
Greeter
Kitagawa, Ian
 
Greeter
Winston, Atsuko
 
October 18, 2018
Photos
Meyers, Charlene
 
October 26, 2018
Reporter
Munro, Susan
 
Photos
Glass, Kerry
 
Greeter
Heikes, Beverly
 
Greeter
Anderson, Eric
 
November 2, 2018
Reporter
Tanouye, Jen
 
Photos
Liu, Anna
 
Greeter
Cabral, Nancy
 
Greeter
 
November 9, 2018
Reporter
Kennedy, Biff
 
Photos
Countess, Joshua
 
Greeter
Tanouye, Jen
 
Greeter
Jimenez, Tina
 
November 16, 2018
Reporter
Munro, Susan
 
Photos
Anderson, Eric
 
Greeter
Cheney, Jim
 
Greeter
Winston, Atsuko
 
November 30, 2018
Reporter
Chu, The Don
 
Photos
Meyers, Charlene
 
 
Speakers
Greg Scott - Hearing Solutions
Sep 28, 2018
Hearing Loss
Chris Tamm's Travels
Oct 05, 2018
Maldives Adventure
Stacy Haumea
Oct 12, 2018
Diabetes Education
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