Hot Shots – 1/3/24

School’s Contribution Helps Provide Meals

Assets School celebrated National Giving Tuesday — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — by donating 675 pounds of canned goods and $641 to Hawai‘i Foodbank. The donation, which was collected during the month of November by the school’s students, trustees, parents, ‘ohana, faculty and sta~ , will provide nearly 2,000 meals to families facing food insecurity. Pictured are (from left) Zach Okimoto, advancement associate, Assets School; Assets parents Baccara Nix and Cheryl Mendez; Ronnie Bartenstein, community food drive and donor services coordinator, Hawai‘i Foodbank; Assets parent Katie Drager;˚Amy Miller, president and CEO, Hawai‘i Foodbank; and Linda Dela Cruz, communications manager and parent relations liaison, Assets School. PHOTO COURTESY ASSETS SCHOOL

Donation Builds A Safer Hawai‘i

General Contractors Association of Hawai‘i members raised more than $50,000 for Domestic Violence Action Center through their “Give Back to the Community” program. Pictured (from left) are Cheryl Walthall, executive director, General Contractors Association of Hawai‘i; Lani Moore, manager of marketing and development, DVAC; Monique Ibarra, CEO, DVAC; and Steve Baginski, president, General Contractors Association, and president and CEO, Kaikor Construction Group. PHOTO COURTESY GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Toy Drive Brings Joy To Keiki

Pearl City Foundation held its third annual Pearl City Toys For Tots Christmas donation drive-by on Dec. 2 at Momilani Community Center. The result was nearly 19 collection boxes ~ lled with brand-new toys that will be distributed to keiki on O‘ahu and Maui. Fabian Villanueva, U.S. Marine Corps Toys For Tots coordinator and his USMC Toys For Tots team distributed toys at the NEX on Dec. 3, and the Maui distribution took place Dec. 21. Santa and Mrs. Claus also made an appearance and are pictured here with (from left) Pomai Rasa, Kamalani Manner, Makana Rasa and Makua Leilani, who donate to the drive each year, as well as Brian Akimoto of Pearl City Lions Club, who volunteered at the event. PHOTO COURTESY BARRY VILLAMIL