Page 6 - MidWeek Leeward - May 5, 2021

6 MAY 5, 2021
Volunteers Are Recognized For Always Giving Back To Leeward Communities
FROM PAGE 1
who have joined her.
“I’m thankful for the
mother at the cemetery be- cleanups at the cemetery. cause the grass was so high. She even successfully
whose name is not found on a street sign, a library, a school or even a public park, even though she has worked tirelessly for decades, to im- prove every one of them.”
honor, but I want it known that credit should be giv- en to all those people that helped me along the way and to thank my family,” Tamamoto says.
“I put myself in her shoes. It was overwhelming and I was crushed,” Vann declares.
helped to relocate a home- less person who had been living at the cemetery by getting to know him on a personal level.
For example, Tamamoto has spearheaded an effort to create an intergenerational centrally located gathering area at the former sugar mill site.
Similarly, Vann has lived in Pearl City for nearly 50 years, and has devoted much of her time assisting Pearl City High School in raising money for its sports programs and uniforms. She has also been praised for her empathetic volunteer ini- tiatives at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. Afflicted by thefts, crime and vandal- ism, the grounds of the site have only been maintained through the work of volun- teers such as Vann.
She explains that she has deep compassion for the families who have loved ones buried at the cemetery, and it’s why she coordinates reg- ularcleanupprojectsthere.
“The man just needed to know there’s options,” Vann explains.
“This is for generations to come. We have to give kids and adults a sense of place, so they have a sense of own- ership,” Tamamoto empha- sizes.
In his letter nominating Vann for the award, Pearl City Neighborhood Board chairman Larry Veray noted that she has been very loyal to the town, especially as her children attended Pearl City High School, and she as- sisted numerous fundraising events. He also recognized her support for community
Kanu Hawai‘i oversaw the selections and chose a panel of three judges to ex- amine the entry nomination forms.
whole-heartedly,” states Misalucha, who represents ʻAiea, Hālawa and Pearl City. “Both women were chosen as unsung heroines and demonstrated their ded- ication and commitment to the betterment of their com- munity,” she adds.
wanted to create the ‘Aiea and Pearl City Community Heroes Awards project even before I was elected into of- fice,” Misalucha says.
She adds that she’s grate- ful for the support of her hus- band, Dr. Warren Tamamoto, and their children Brent, Al- yson and Craig, along with many other members of the community and government
“There were many wor- thy nominees that the judges reviewed, making the de- cision a difficult one, and I congratulate both winners
She adds that 2021 is its first year and plans are al- ready underway to conduct the second annual awards.
According to Vann, last year, she heard that a woman couldn’t even find her own
“There are hundreds of volunteers who humbly serve without wanting any recognition. I have always
See the following link at youtu.be/V4PZgSz4vW0 for the virtual recognition event for the two award recipients.
These efforts include bag- ging and removing more than 200 sacks of trash, and even donating lunch bentos to her fellow volunteers.
Tamamoto and Vann were honored in a virtual awards ceremony on April 24. Each of them will be presented with $500, which will be donated in their names to a nonprofit of their choosing.
From left are Community Heroes Awards recipients Elizabeth Vann of Pearl City and Claire Tamamoto of ‘Aiea, with state Sen. Bennette Misalucha of District 16. PHOTO COURTESY OFFICE OF STATE SEN. BENNETTE MISALUCHA
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