Derek Kanehira and Suzun Weeks-Pell gave back to the Oahu community in more than 100 ways this year — 105, to be exact.
The First Insurance Co. of Hawaii employees and leaders of the firm’s Community Action Team came up with an ambitious way to celebrate the company’s centennial this year: complete 100 community service events with 100 percent participation in at least one event by more than 300 employees.
THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE
Every day through year’s end, the Star-Advertiser will recognize people who changed Hawaii in 2011. Some are familiar names; others shunned the spotlight. But all made a difference. The winners were chosen by Star-Advertiser editors from recommendations submitted by staff members and readers. |
"A lot of people thought they were crazy, but they stuck to it," said Kaela Wasnich, the firm’s internal communications director. "It really came from their hearts. It wasn’t just a gimmick for them."
Events included in-house collections of food and other items, bridge painting at Ala Moana Park, replanting school gardens, preparing dinner at Ronald McDonald House and a fundraiser held at Aiea Bowl that collected $11,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu.
"That (was) a huge gift," said Jill Matro, vice president of programs and branch operations at Big Brothers Big Sisters. "They did most of the heavy lifting for that event, so our staff … didn’t have to take time away from the children they support to do a fundraising event."
In total, the events raised $20,000, collected upward of $8,000 in donated goods, and employees logged roughly 2,250 volunteer hours — more than double the 800 hours and 45 events worked in 2010.
"We’re not doing it because we want the publicity or because we want people to know what we do, but because we want to do it, and we know it’s right," Kanehira said.
Kanehira and Weeks-Pell, who each attended well over half of the events, said they frequently wondered what they were thinking when they volunteered to plan all of them. By the end of January, only four events had been completed.
"It sounded achievable when we were first thinking about it," said Kanehira, the human relations manager. "I think that’s what really helped give us a kick-start and say, ‘OK, we have to go look for events.’"
The "Inspiring by Example" program went full-speed around March or April, Kanehira said. Some weekends, employees had four events to choose from.
"It became like a challenge between the different units," Wasnich said. "From an all-around campaign standpoint, it was just a total success."
Weeks-Pell, the administrations manager, said she is looking forward to the final event, delivering truckloads of Christmas presents to four "adopted families."
"It’s a really hard time for a lot of people, and I feel very fortunate that I have a job that I love, I can pay my bills, I can pay my rent," she said. "It’s a time right now where if you’ve got it, you’ve really got to try to give it back."
