Helping Others Just Comes Naturally

Dear Pamela,

One afternoon on very busy Ala Moana Boulevard and Atkinson Drive, my 1990 Toyota went dead. I immediately called 911, and the person on the other end took down the information. As I started to call the insurance card emergency phone number, a tall, slender man on a bicycle came up to my window and offered to help, as I was now blocking traffic, being in the middle lane, and the light had changed.

He lifted my hood and attempted to find the problem. On the phone, I contacted an insurance agent on the Mainland, who couldn’t understand our street names. Just then, HPD Officer McMillikin offered assistance and redirected traffic. This was a dangerous situation, as the lights changed several times and I was causing a backlog.

The officer and the other gentleman pushed the car out of the way. Altogether they put in nearly two hours helping me. Bogie Banu, the young man, looked at the engine, found a broken alternator belt and offered to bicycle to a parts store to get a replacement. Meanwhile, the tow truck arrived to get me to a mechanic.

I gave him my USCG Auxiliary card and encouraged him to call me about joining the USCG Reserves, as the way he came to my assist in this emergency situation was commendable. He called me the next day and said he had indeed contacted the USCG Reserve.

Mr. Banu and Officer McMillikin exhibited thoughtfulness and kindness. I had two “earthly angels” that day, and thank God for them. They did go above and beyond.

Skippy Sweet
Kaneohe

Dear Skippy,

Bogie Banu says he regularly takes that route to go to the beach, so he was in the right place at the right time. “I would hope anyone would have helped,” he says. “If I see someone in trouble, of course I would help, especially if they were stuck in traffic. Skippy was more than kind. She offered a token of thanks, but this was something that came naturally.”

Dear Pamela,

I wish there were a Mailman’s Hall of Fame. I would nominate the late Roy Fukumoto, mail carrier in Hawaii Kai, for this honor. This local hero went above and beyond while doing his daily route.

He knew my mom was getting frail and fragile. He would check on her every day he worked. He would deliver her mail to her personally because, for her, it was a long walk to the mailbox. He would take the time for a friendly chat to make sure she was OK. Guardian angels like him are hard to come by. Our family was truly blessed to have him in her life.

Pauline Arellano
Mililani

Dear Pauline,

“I didn’t know Roy personally, but I do know that the exemplary actions described by Ms. Arellano are not uncommon among Hawaii mail carriers,” says Duke Gonzales, USPS spokesman. “We regularly receive letters of thanks from customers recounting actions of extreme diligence and generosity performed by outstanding mail carriers. We are proud and grateful to have had employees such as Roy represent the Postal Service.”

Dear Pamela,

Please help me send out my appreciation to the honest and kind person who found my wallet, which I dropped in the basement parking level B-3 of the Century Square building. Unfortunately, the finder did not identify himself when he turned in my wallet to the building’s security office staff. Per that office’s policy, my wallet was turned in to the police.

Thankfully, I was spared from having to cancel my credit cards, etc. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Officer Marcos, who picked up the intact wallet from the security office and brought it to the police department, where I was able to pick it up.

I hope that I will somehow have the opportunity to personally thank my unidentified savior. Meanwhile, I will try to “pay it forward” by helping others.

Melvin Murakami
Kakaako

Dear Melvin,

Officer Sharon Marcos was your angel on duty. “We are always glad to facilitate the return of property to its rightful owner, and are especially thankful to those citizens who step forward and do the right thing,” says Maj. Roy Sugimoto of HPD District 1.

If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813, or email pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.