january 27, 2016 - Rotary Club of Waikiki

JANUARY 27, 2016
SPEAKER OF THE WEEK
Laine Kohama
Computer Security
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
UPCOMING SPEAKERS
President Rhodora
with our Guest Speaker
Toni Muranaka from Make
A Wish Hawaii Chapter
February 24
Angelia Keene
Hawaiian Airlines
March 9
Nancy Lueck, PR Dir.
Bloomingdales
March 16
Mayor Caldwell
City & County of Honolulu
March 23
Rotary on the Road
State Capital-State House
Hosted by: Rep. Gene Ward &
Bob McDermott
March 30
Kristina Lockwood, GM
KHON2
HAW AII CLUB 30 | DISTRICT 5000
CHARTERED JUNE 20, 1939
RI PRESIDENT— K.R. RAVINDRAN
DISTRICT GOVERNOR—DEL GREEN
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Ikko Tomita
introduced our
Japan Exchange
student from
Waipahu High
School Taylor
Young and her
teacher Will Smith
Visiting Rotarians
Dick Nicholon from
the Rotary Club of St.
Paul MN.
Barbara Dresser
Huntersville Happy
Hour, NC. &
PDG Ken Dresser
North Meckenburg
County, NC.
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President Rhodora opened our meeting this afternoon
with a warm rousing WELCOME to our members and
guests. She proceeded to introduce our speaker Toni
Muranaka from Make a Wish Hawaii.
PP Tony Gedeon inspired us with his inspiration and
PDG Roy King led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to
our great nation. Laura Haas introduced our VIPS,
guests and visitors. Jeremy Wilson introduced his guest
Scott Hughes (Wealth Strategy Partners), Ikko Tomita
introduced our Japan exchange student, Taylor Young,
who will be studying at Hitachi City Japan for 1 month
and her teacher Will Smith from Waipahu High School.
Sylvia Makk’s guest was Annabelle Stone (Pathway of
Hope, part of the Salvation Army); Adrienne King
introduced her guest Kathryn Henski running for State
House office in Waikiki. Kathryn shared how “Make a
Wish” made a difference to her adopted son’s life, she is
very grateful for the agency.
PP Gail Warshawsky welcomed and led us in song as
we sang Waikiki Rotary’s famous “Welcome to Rotary”
song to our “Shell Lei” visitors. Today’s visitors were:
Dick Nicholon from the Rotary Club of St. Paul MN.
Barbara Dresser Huntersville Happy Hour, NC. & PDG
Ken Dresser North Meckenburg County, Cornelius, NC.
PP Dave Livingston auctioned off a gift basket for the
Rotary Foundation packed by Foundation Chair Bill
Amigone. The winning bid was for $300.00, Thanks PP
& Major Donor Dave Livingston for your generosity
to The Rotary Foundation.
Our Aloha Bucket diva this week was Sylvia Makk,
receiving Happy $$s to the bucket from Jeremy
Wilson, Bob Tellender, Ikko Tomita, Ron Sauder,
Gail Warshawsky, Tony Gedeon, Laura Haas and
President Rhodora Pagay. Thank you All for
sharing.
Announcements:
Service Chair Stephen Morgan announced a new date
for the Waikiki Annual Garage sale to February 20, set
up on Friday February 19 at Waikiki Elementary
School. Start saving your Treasures! All proceeds will
benefit Waikiki Elementary School. Stephen also
announced that the 3rd painting project at the Kakaako
Homeless Shelter at First Step will be scheduled for
March. Dictionary Project Chair Ron Sauder
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announced a Dictionary distribution is scheduled for
Thursday at Likelike Elementary school and PP Gloria
King announced Books 4 Kids at Lanakila Elementary
this Friday, she has 6 college students from Korea
helping in partnership with International Mid Pacific
College. Gloria also mentioned another Books 4 Kids is
scheduled on January 29 at Likelike Elementary.
Volunteers always needed.
Speaker Chair PP Dave Livingston introduced our
speaker today. Toni Muranaka, Annual Gifts
Officer, Make-A-Wish® Hawaii.
We are a statewide nonprofit dedicated to granting the
wishes of children in Hawaii who qualify for the healing
power of a wish. Right now, for every child who
receives the life-affirming gift of a wish, there is another
child we are still trying to reach. This is an obstacle that
we are working hard each day to overcome.
Each year, thousands of people are impacted by a wish
experience that our chapter has coordinated. These farreaching results clearly illustrate what we at Make-AWish have always known in our hearts: a wish come
true plays an important role in the treatment protocol.
Make-A-Wish is not simply a "nicety," it is clearly a
"necessity." A wish makes a difference.
Although Make-A-Wish has become one of the world's
most well-known charities, our chapter has maintained
the grassroots fulfillment of its mission, built on the
spirit of Aloha more than three decades ago. To date, we
have more than 400 volunteers on all islands who
deliver our mission across the state. Wishes are 100%
privately funded through the generosity of local
businesses and individual donors who make our work
possible, and all funds raised in Hawaii stay in Hawaii
to help local children battling life-threatening illnesses.
Toni shared videos on how Make-A-Wish made a
difference in children’s lives.
A few examples were:
Make-A-Wish® Hawaii, in collaboration with numerous
volunteers and organizations, granted Eva’s wish to
encounter a magical unicorn at The Royal Hawaiian
Resort, on Friday, August 7, bringing a boost of hope,
strength and joy in the midst of this three-year-old’s
battle with leukemia. This wish rallied support from
more than 40 volunteers who helped bring a fairytale
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W E E K L Y R E P O R T : W E D N E S D AY - J AN U AR Y 2 0 , 2 0 1 6
script to life. This script, written by the Make-A-Wish
Hawaii team, was inspired by a children’s book called
“The Legend of the Hair Fairies,” by Carole Folkert,
Eva’s caregiver.
Honolulu gained a new ‘Junior Police Chief’ on
Tuesday, April 28, when Honolulu Mayor Kirk
Caldwell and Honolulu Police Dept. Chief Louis
Kealoha granted 5-year-old Daidap’s wish to be a police
officer with his own police car. Daidap, from
Honolulu’s Mayor Wright Housing Community, has
already undergone nine open heart surgeries in his
young life due to a severe congenital heart defect. He
asked to have his own police car power wheels, but little
did he know that he would actually get to meet and train
with local officers.
Eight-year-old
Ryder battles
Craniosynotosis, a
birth defect that
affects the fusion of
the skull resulting in
developmental
delay. His impulsive
nature and his love
for playing outdoors led him to wish for a backyard
oasis with a playground set and bicycle path where he
can safely play with his brothers. Although he doesn’t
understand the feeling of fear, thanks to his wish, Ryder
knows what it feels like to experience pure joy. Almost
100 people from the Maui community witnessed this joy
as they welcomed him with cheers and signs to his new
backyard oasis! With his hands up in the air and his
smile shining bright, Ryder exuded pure happiness.
What was once grass and dirt, was now a colorful and
fun play area for him and his family to enjoy.
President Rhodora thanked Toni with a 4 way test
plaque and asked her to sign a book which will be
donated to Waikiki Elementary School.
It was time for the lucky marble drawing, PP Tony
Gedeon’s ticket was drawn however the red marble was
drawn. President Rhodora thanked the set up crew of
Nick and Stephen and today’s
scribe Gloria.
Submitted by: PP Gloria King
RI President-elect John F.
Germ chose Rotary Serving Humanity as his
theme for 2016-17. Noting Rotary’s unique ability to bring together committed professionals to
achieve remarkable
goals, Germ believes that “now is the time to capitalize
on our success: as we complete the eradication of polio,
and catapult Rotary forward to be an even greater force
for good in the world.” Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris,
believed that serving humanity is “the most worthwhile
thing a person can do,” RIPE Germ said, being a part of
Rotary is a “great opportunity” to make that happen.
“I believe everyone recognizes the opportunity to serve Rotary for
what it truly is: not a small opportunity, but a great one; an opportunity of a lifetime to change the world for the better, forever
through Rotary’s service to humanity,” said Germ.
Rotary members around the globe are serving humanity by providing clean water to underdeveloped communities, promoting peace
in conflict areas, and strengthening communities through basic
education and literacy. But none more important than our work to
eradicate polio worldwide, he said.
After a historic year in which transmission of the wild poliovirus
was stopped in Nigeria and all of Africa, Germ said we are closer
than ever to ending polio.
“We are at a crossroads in Rotary,” he added. “We are looking
ahead at a year that may one day be known as the greatest year in
Rotary’s history: the year that sees the world’s last case of polio.”
Last year’s milestones leave just two countries, Afghanistan and
Pakistan, where the virus still circulates. Polio would be only the
second human disease ever to be eradicated.
When that moment arrives, it’s “tremendously important” that Rotary is ready for it, said Germ. “We need to be sure that we are
recognized for that success, and leverage that success into more
partnerships, greater growth, and even more ambitious service in
the decades to come.”
Germ, a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee,
USA, encouraged attendees to return to their clubs and communities and spread the word about Rotary’s role in the fight for a polio
-free world.
“People who want to do good will see that Rotary is a place where
they can change the world. Every Rotary club needs to be ready to
give them that opportunity,” Germ said.
Enhancing Rotary’s image isn’t the only way to boost membership. “We need clubs that are flexible, so our service will be more
attractive to younger members, recent retirees, & working people.”
He added: “We need more willing hands, more caring hearts, and
more bright minds to move our work forward.”
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C LUB OFFIC ER S & D IR EC TOR S
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TODAY’S SPEAKER: LAINE KOHAMA
O FFIC ER S
President
Rhodora Pagay
224-5262
[email protected]
VP / President-Elect
Joseph Gedeon
386-6985
[email protected]
Vice President
PDG Roy King
737-1991
[email protected]
Secretary
Bill Amigone
735-2872
bamigone@vothicom
Treasurer
PP David Hamil
239-9014
[email protected]
Sgt-at-Arms
PP Bob Tellander
946-9974
[email protected]
Immediate Past President
PP Chad Adams
352-0352
[email protected]
D IR EC TOR S
Peter Ehrhorn
Vocational Service
[email protected]
779-5411
PP Chuck Braden
Youth Service
[email protected]
265-6955
Stephen Morgan
Community Service
[email protected]
352-8383
Adrienne King
International Service
[email protected]
384-6326
Ikko Tomita
International Service-Japan
Nora Chen
International Service-Taiwan
Karen Smith
Major Fundraising Chair
[email protected]
286-3248
[email protected]
382-9515
[email protected]
927-9021
PP Dave Livingston
Program Chair
[email protected]
542-4945
Steve Koyama
At Large
Laine Kohama has over 20
years of experience in the computer
and technology industry. He has
worked at both large Fortune 500
companies such as Sun
Microsystems as well as at smaller locally-owned
companies which has allowed him to diversify his
knowledge and serve clients from every walk of life.
He has a vast array of partnerships and IT certifications
with Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle,
Sonicwall, VMWare, and Symantec to name a few.
Always at the forefront of technology, his passion lies in
looking for cutting-edge solutions that are cost effective,
sustainable, and easy to implement for all levels of
computer users.
Born and raised in Hawaii, he started his computer
consulting business Gigaisland twelve years ago. His
tagline "The Friendlier Side of Computer Services"
personifies his company, whose mission is to build a
bridge of understanding between clients and technology
in a way that is friendly, simple and empowering.
He's the CIO of Gigaisland, not Chief Information
Officer, but CIO instead stands for Compassion,
Integrity, and Ohana. Those core values are what makes
Gigaisland strive to be the best computer experience
you'll receive on Hawaii.
[email protected]
265-4092
SER VIC E CHAIRS
Program Chair
Membership Chair
Community Service Chair
PP Dave Livingston
PP Chad Adams
Stephen Morgan
Literacy Chair
PP Gloria King
International Service Chair
Adrienne King
Public Relations Chair
Rotary Foundation Chair
Sister Club Liaison, Japan
Sister Club Liaison, Taiwan
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PP Janet Scheffer
Bill Amigone
Ikko Tomita,
Flora Lu, Nora Chen
PO Box 8622
Honolulu, HI 96830
Executive Administrator
Linda Collard
395-2290 [email protected]
Bulletin Editor/ Publisher & Web Coordinator
PP Dick Matti
396 3268 | [email protected]
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