Page 6 - MidWeek Windward - Jan 11, 2023

6 JANUARY 11, 2023
Endowment Fund Honors Kāne‘ohe Youth Who Wanted To Make A Difference
The Wishes Forever En- dowment Fund has been es- tablished at Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i to honor the legacy of wish kid, the late Taiyo Kaaialii. The Kāne‘ohe res- ident wished to have a hy- draulic dump trailer, moti- vated by his drive to start his own business.
cided to also donate, pool- ing the funds to establish the Wishes Forever Endowment Fund.
“We were so inspired by their generosity that we de- cided to join them, and to- gether, create the endowment fund to honor his legacy,” states Debbie, who serves as Leadership Works vice president. “2022 has been an important and emotional year for us, as we celebrated 40 years of doing business. This was the perfect oppor- tunity to finish the year and do something to support our community. Helping grant wishes for local kids and families has been an in- credible experience. We’ve seen firsthand the joy these moments provide them and know how much hope it can
provide during such difficult times.”
lies for years to come.” Those who wish to con- tribute to the endowment can donate through the Make- A-Wish Hawai‘i webpage secure2.wish.org/site/TR?-
“The only thing I can do now is just pay it forward, and use profits to help other kids in need,” the late Kaaia- lii stated on the day his wish was granted. “Treatment is just an ongoing and regular thing, but it doesn’t stop you from being who you are or doing what you want to do in life.”
Debbie and Glenn Furuya of Leadership Works pose with the late Taiyo Kaaialii of Kāne‘ohe. PHOTO COURTESY MAKE-A-WISH HAWAI‘I; LEADERSHIP WORKS
“Taiyo’s story is incredi- ble. He was a compassion- ate young man, whose spirit and drive never wavered. We were so moved when we learned that his parents decid- ed to sell his hydraulic dump trailer and donate the pro- ceeds,” states president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Ha- wai‘i Trini Kaopuiki Clark. “We celebrated 40 years of granting life-changing wish- es for children with critical illnesses in Hawai‘i this year, and this endowment will help provide a source of hope and joy for keiki and their fami-
Forever Endowment Fund.” To provide a gift by check, make it payable to Make-A- Wish Hawai‘i and note the Wishes Forever Endowment Fund, then mail the contri- bution to: Make-A-Wish Ha- wai‘i, 900 Fort Street Mall, Ste. 1200, Honolulu, HI
Debbie and Glenn Furuya of Leadership Works spon- sored Kaaialii’s wish and forged a connection with
him and his family. After Kaaialii’s wish was granted in February last year, they stayed in touch and planned to have Kaaialii join one of their future leadership train- ing sessions.
from cancer in June. Honor- ing Kaaialii, his family de- cided to sell the trailer and donate the proceeds to Make- A-Wish Hawai‘i. Once the Furuyas learned of the deci- sion Kaaialii’s parents made to honor their son, they de-
96813.
For more information, visit
Unfortunately, he died
wish.org/hawaii.
Their generosity will com- memorate Kaaialii in per- petuity and will help future wish keiki and their families for generations to come.
fr_id=4691&pg=entry.
To provide a gift of stock, contact chief development officer Madalyn Kenney at mkenney@hawaii.wish.org and be sure to note that the donation is for the “Wishes
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