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Friends of Hawaii Charities and charity partner The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. award $1,000,000 in grants to more than 125 Hawaii charities. Photo by Randy Fujimori

That's what friends are for

by ADAM OWENS
Sun Correspondent
Archived December 2006 article

Giving is the mission of Friends of Hawaii Charities, Inc. With the support of its charity partner, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc., and 1,500 extraordinary volunteers, the eight-year-old organization reached its "Drive to a $Million" in annual charity giving in 2006, raising total charity grants to over $6,000,000. Friends distributed grant contributions to more than 100 Hawaii not-for-profit organizations this year. Record level funding was raised through four professional 2006 golf events, including the Sony Open in Hawaii-PGA Tour, the Turtle Bay Championship-Champions Tour, and the SBS Open and Fields Open-LPGA Tour. Efforts were also supplemented by The Friends Club members and private donors.

As a public charity, Friends of Hawaii Charities activates financial resources by enlisting private sector support and spirited volunteerism from the community, and tapping the extraordinary natural resources of the state, to produce sports and cultural events that generate funds for charity endeavors in Hawaii. These funds benefit Hawaii's women, children, elderly and needy.

Since Friends of Hawaii Charities began in 1998, grants have been given to more than 250 charities and changed hundreds of lives in Hawaii. Friends was the first organization to support Spirit of Aloha Outreaches, Inc., an alternative education program that helps at-risk youth. This unique program uses a hands-on learning model through a culinary platform to engage youth that are alienated from traditional educational methods and relationships. Oriana Faasavalu successfully went through this program and graduated from Farrington High School after an unplanned pregnancy as a 15-year-old, and numerous other obstacles, interrupted her education. Another incredible Friends story involves nine-year old Megan Stone. Megan is both epileptic (suffers from seizures) and autistic and often suffers from asthma attacks. With the help of a grant given to Hawaii Fi-Do Service Dogs, Megan was given a labradoodle named Sukie to alert Megan and her family of an imminent seizure or asthma attack.

The Friends Club. The Friends Club is a membership program designed to support the fund-raising efforts of Friends of Hawaii Charities. Over the past two years nearly $100,000 has been raised by club members. This coming year Lance Kakimoto, Friends Club Volunteer Chair invites you to join The Friends Club to help reach its goal of raising over $60,000 this year. As a member of the Friends Club you will experience incredible values that include an invitation for breakfast with a PGA Tour pro, a logo T-shirt, pin and much more! Most importantly though, your Friends Club membership fees will help link you to the common goal of the Friends of Hawaii Charities, making a positive impact among Hawaii's most vulnerable populations. Friends Club members bring hope for a better tomorrow and a brighter today.

Become a friend. Join The Friends Club.

For questions or more information on the Friends Club and Sony Open in Hawaii, visit www.friendsofhawaii.org or call 792-9339.
Oriana Faasavalu. Photo courtesy of Friends of Hawaii Charities
Sony Open in Hawaii

The Sony Open in Hawaii 2007, January 8-14, is the launch of the first full-field event of the PGA TOUR Aloha Season. The Sony Open in Hawaii features over 140 internationally-renowned golf professionals competing for the $936,000 champion's prize of the overall $5.2 million purse. Played at the par-70, 7,060-yard Waialae Country Club golf course, the 2007 event marks the 42nd consecutive year of PGA TOUR play at the oceanside golf venue.

For more information, contact the Sony Open in Hawaii headquarters, (808) 523-7888, visit www.friendsofhawaii.org or email friend@friendsofhawaii.org