Page 2 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Aug 10, 2022

2 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK AUGUST 10, 2022
Still Making Wishes Come True
By Trini Kaopuiki Clark, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish-Hawai‘i
AFutures
In 1983, 10-year-old Albert from Hilo, who was diagnosed with leukemia, dreamed of visiting Disneyland. Al- bert’s wish was granted by Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i, which was established a year earlier in September 1982 by Honolulu businessman Jack Stanford.
anticipation of her wish coming true gave McKella strength to keep fighting. Today, McKella is on her way to becoming a trav- eling certified nursing assistant.
s the quagmire inevitably gets resolved about the new tourism marketing situation locally, I’m putting in a plug to add director-actor-co-
Albert became the first local child to have a wish granted by MAWH, and his Disneyland adventure paved the way for more than 1,500 keiki, including hundreds from the Big Island, to have their wishes come true.
Please join us in celebrating 40 years of life-changing wishes at a free event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 20 at Queens’ Marketplace in Waikoloa, featuring live entertainment, keiki activities and fun for the whole family.
median Jordan Peele to the consultants’ list. After all, he’s had big hits with movies Get Out, Us and now Nope, so, just by his titles alone, it seems like he might be a perfect ally to align with on future campaigns, as they most assuredly will morph.
Over the past 40 years, MAWH has seen the power that granting wishes has to transform lives, engage communities in life-changing moments, and give chil- dren and their families hope and strength to fight harder against their critical illness. The majority of wish kids go on to live healthy lives and reflect on their wish as a turning point in their journey.
Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i founder Jack Stanford (left) stands with Albert, the first wish kid, at the moment his wish to visit Disneyland comes true. PHOTOS COURTESY MAKEAWISH HAWAI‘I
the power of their wish being granted is Ocean View resident McKella, whose pas- sion for riding horses provided a source of strength as she battled lymphoma. In 2017, MAWH granted McKella’s wish to attend the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, where she and her family watched the world’s best riders and rodeo stars. The
With the support of our community, donors, medical professionals, partners, volunteers and dedicated staff, we look forward to the next 40 years of transform- ing lives, one wish at a time, beginning with our goal of granting 40 more wishes by the end of the year.
And speaking of tourism issues, we know that some early rhetoric has mentioned plans for bolder moves to redirect or change the visitor experience and perception. Good timing, because they’ve already resorted to “boul- der” moves streetside in Lanikai ...
To make a gift or learn more, visit hawaii.wish.org, call 808-537-3118 or email info@hawaii.wish.org. All funds raised stay in Hawai‘i to bring keiki with critical illnesses one step closer to brighter days ahead.
Last week, I needed to get something in quickly to a government office and they actually asked me to fax it. Really? I thought we were living in a post-fax world, which aligns with the sad reality that we’re also far too often living in a post-facts world ...
Among those who have experienced
While I understand and concur with reminding people that COVID is still a hovering presence and a concern inside crowded buildings, I found it ironic to see a sign posted recently on the fence at a Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority facility that read: “This property is closed to the public” and right below that it added “no trespassing.” Boy, if that doesn’t sum up our laissez-faire attitude to- ward the housing situation and public needs in general ...
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 7
RATING: BRONZE
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT/ SUPPLEMENT PRODUCTS RON NAGASAWA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
BILL MOSSMAN
MANAGING EDITOR
NICOLE MONTON
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
DENNIS FRANCIS
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER
DAVE KENNEDY
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
LANCE TAKAKI
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It seems pedestrian, obvious and generic to see mun- dane political ads that focus on how said candidate will “fight for the little guy.” As opposed to whom — mul- timillionaires? You see some politico ads highlighting the concepts of “trust” and “future.” Shouldn’t trust and our future be a voting expectation and a basic given? As opposed to skepticism and looking backward? Hmm ...
We need real solutions to real problems in real time, like finalizing flood mitigation plans along the Ala Wai Canal. The Ala Wai Flood Management Project (that name alone might indicate a potentially serious issue) has been around for 23 years, but wasn’t officially autho- rized or funded until 2018. More talks will soon be held with necessary public interaction, and a supposed “final report” will come out next spring, at which point there will be more feedback, more discussion and invariably more studies.
Let’s hope nature remains ambivalent and gives us time to get this one done right ... some decade.
Think about it.
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com