Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 5, 1 May 1993 — OHA honors its volunteers for service [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA honors its volunteers for service

Volunteers represent an unseen, ^ but indispensable part of OHA operations. OHA showed its appreciation April 8 with a luneh to honor the hundreds of volunteers that put in thousands of unpaid hours for OHA in the 1992-3 fiscal year. OHA volunteers do a variety of jobs both inside

ana outsiae tne office. These include general office work, registration for projects like Operation 'Ohana, and lending professional expertise to activities OHA is engaged in. Close to 120 people attended the event that featured music, a buffet luneh and numerous well-deserved, often emotional awards presentations. Trustee

Kamaki Kanahele was master of ceremonies of the luneh that began with music by Nā Kūpono and opening ceremonies by kūpuna Elizabeth Ellis, Anne Kaapana and Nalehua Knox. OHA chairman Clayton Hee offered some welcoming remarks, thanking the volunteers

for their kōkua, with hopes that they will continue to provide such valuable service for the native Hawaiian community. Hee gave special thanks to Bob Fujii of the Bank of Hawai'i who, in addition to the valuable service he has given OHA as a member of the Native Hawaiian

Revolving Loan Fund, is the national winner of the Minority Small Business Advocate of the year award and will be going to Washington to receive it personally from President Clinton. Speaking after Hee, OHA administrator Richard Paglinawan also thanked volunteers

adding that "no government agency ean succeed" without the help of volunteers and that eaeh year more and more are offering their services to OHA. The outstanding volunteer group award went to the Onipa'a Centennial Committee who, in addition to the long hours they put in, were able

10 raise runas or $100,000 for the five-day centennial eommemoration, money that was matched by the state Legislature. All departments honored their volunteers with kind words, certificates, bags and colorful lei. Land officer Linda Delaney paid special tribute to the Native H a w a i i a n H i s t o r i e Preservation Council whose work has dealt with such issues

as H-3, the planned repository at Mauna 'Ala, and native repatriation. Council chair Lydia Namahana Maioho was given the outstanding volunteer award and was recognized for her tireless work for OHA, whieh stretches back more than a decade.

Trustee Kanahele presents outstanding volunteer award to Lydia Maioho. Photo by Patrick Johnston

Native Hawaiian revolving loan fund volunteer Bob Fujii receives congratulations from OHA chairman Clayton Hee and trustee Kamaki Kanahele Photo by Patrick Johnston