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The Newsletter of Kauai United Way 808.245.2043 kauaiunitedway.org
September 2014
a message from executive director scott n. giarman
The media constantly remind us of so much
pain and suffering in this world. It’s easy to
tune it all out. After all, it’s always been
there; it’s always going to be there. And,
unfortunately, our ability to affect it is
severely constrained.
What we must strive not to tune out, however,
are the very real needs here at home. Because
our ability to affect our needs – on our beautiful
Garden Island – are not constrained. In fact,
that’s what Kauai United Way (KUW) is
designed to do: we provide a means, for any of
us and for all of us, to be able to make
significant contributions to help our community.
Say you feel that two dollars per paycheck
the most you could donate. What difference
can that make? It’d be tempting just to
spend it on a cup of coffee (well…a small
cup) instead of donating it. Instead, let’s say
you donate that two dollars to KUW via
payroll deduction where you work. With 26
pay periods, you just boosted your donation
to $52 (while writing such a large single
donation check would sting most of us.) Now
say you convince four of your coworkers to
do the same. By working together, you have
raised $208 – suddenly, that’s not just
coffee money. Two hundred bucks is well on
the way to providing a good start to solving
some of many problems that affect people
on our island today.
Helping is something to feel good about. And
helping others helps you, too, on our small
island.
We don’t have answers to the world’s
problems. But we have answers to many of
Kauai’s. Won’t you help us by giving what
you feel good about today?
Let’s all live united…the Kauai United Way!
It’s all our kuleana.
a message from 2014 campaign co-chairs mark stein and ron wiley
Kauai United Way has now entered into its
seventh decade serving as the umbrella
charitable organization of our island. That is
simply remarkable. We hope you’ll join us in
our 7 for 7 Celebration: Campaign goal of
$700,000 for KUW’s 7th decade!
We are proud to be associated with this vital
organization and we hope you are too…
because it’s your contribution that makes
you a part of addressing social services
concerns on our island; YOU make a
difference and – together, united – we make
a huge difference.
There’s a reason Kauai United Way has been
around so long (seven decades now): it’s the
critical social services made possible by your
dollars to KUW that have made life on Kauai
better for all of us for generations. Every day,
someone on our island just like you is in
need (from one of our 29 agencies, and 80+
unduplicated services) and Kauai United Way
is there to help. Cuts in social service
funding continue, but the need keeps rising,
so there is more need for KUW services on
our island now than ever before.
greater. Will you help us get to our ambitious,
yet much needed, goal of $700,000? Your
few dollars per paycheck add up to make
the difference that none of us alone could.
Join us in our 7 in 7 celebration and let’s all
live united…the Kauai United Way!
The need is great but the spirit and
generosity of the people of Kauai is even
Providing leadership to unite the people of Kauai by sharing resources to better care for one another.
boy scouts complete busy summer of events, roll into fall with cub scout recruitment
There’s a lot happening with Kauai’s Boy
Scouts programs! This year’s Boy Scout
summer camp included a first-ever
Fishing Merit Badge utilizing Puulua
Reservoir in Kokee State Park during the
annual trout-fishing season there. Kauai
Scouters completed a successful Cub
Day Camp at a new location. And
volunteers are now moving full-speed
ahead with the annual fall Cub Scout
recruitment campaign.
archery, rocketry and a BB-gun range.
Around 75 Cubs and 50 adults attended.
Currently, the annual Cub Scout
recruitment campaign is under way, with
the ambitious goal of visiting 19 schools
and recruiting 200 new youth for their
character-building programs.
The Kauai District of the Aloha Council of
the Boy Scouts of America is an original
agency of Kauai United Way. For more
information, please call Paul Curtis, Kauai
District executive, at 346-8071 or
[email protected].
Nearly 50 boys and 20 adult volunteers
spent a week at Camp Alan Faye, the
Boy Scouts’ 22-acre facility in Kokee
State Park, during the annual Boy Scouts
summer camp. Waita Reservoir, through
the kindness of Grove Farm Company
and Kauai ATV, served for the first time
as the locale of the annual Cub Day
Camp, a day of fun and educational
activities that included fishing, kayaking,
girl scouts after school hours program
cat food, animal supplies and toys from
In the Girl Scouts After School Hours
their cookie earning to the Kauai Humane
Program (ASHP), Daisy Troop 4350,
Society and participated in their PAW
Brownie Troop 4353 and Junior Troop
program to boost reading among
4344 of Kauai donated 30 pairs of
elementary-school aged children.
slippers to Lihue’s Elsie Wilcox
Elementary School health
room and worked with the
school’s garden coordinator,
Natalie Hiwahiwa. Cookie
earnings supplied an
assortment of plants,
flowerpots and soil for the
garden and troop members
participated in a gardening
activity using the donated
supplies. The ASHP has also
made a donation of dog and
Providing leadership to unite the people of Kauai by sharing resources to better care for one another.
kauai robotics alliance
The mission of Kauai Robotics Alliance
(KRA) is to encourage Kauai youth of all
ages to gain education in the areas of
science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) by supporting
robotics activities.
Robotics is a growing, competitive, interscholastic pursuit nationwide. Successful
participants have advantages in applying to
college STEM programs and in being
awarded scholarships. Because Kauai
schools are smaller than those on Oahu,
however, our students have been at a
disadvantage. That’s where KRA comes in:
to unite Kauai’s robotics programs to
compete better with off-island schools and
level the playing field for our young people
as they compete for college opportunities.
There are approximately 100 students in
grades 4-8, island-wide, who participate
in the elementary level of competitive
robotics, FIRST Lego Robotics. The Kauai
regional tournament is held in early
November with the qualifying teams
advancing to Oahu for the state
tournament.
were mentored by high school team
members. Each child built either a
programmable robot or a beetle bot
which they were able to take home.
KRA programs are expanding all the
time. Every student who wishes to
participate in KRA programs is found a
place to do so; no one is turned away.
At the high school level, there are 17
island-wide team members. The robotics
season begins in early January with the
Hawaii regional tournament taking place
in late March at the University of Hawaii
at Manoa.
This past June, KRA held two robotics
workshops for keiki in grades 3-8 with
20 participating students. Youngsters
Kaua`i United Way
with the assistance of
Kapaa High School Interact Club
present its annual
Walk a Thon
DATE:
Saturday, October 25, 2014
TIME: 7:00 a.m.
PLACE: Kukui Grove Center Stage
YOU KEEP HALF the money you raise.
The rest goes to suppor t the vital community work of Kauai United Way’s
29 Par ticipating Agencies. There’s nothing to sell, nothing to organize!
Pledge forms available at the Kauai United Way office at
4374 Kukui Grove St., Ste. 201, Lihue, HI 96766
For more information call 245-2043 or email [email protected]
E v e r y w a l k e r t u rn in g in a p l e d g e fo r m o f $ 7 5 o r m o r e w i l l r e c e i v e a K a u a ` i U n i t e d W a y
Walk A Thon t-shirt. T-shirts will be distributed after November 12, 2014 at the
K U W O f f i c e b y a p p o i n t me n t o n l y . T - s h i r t s a v a i l a b l e w h i l e s u p p l i e s l a s t !
Please make all checks payable to:
Kaua`i United Way
All Monies Due to KUW By: November 7, 2014
Providing leadership to unite the people of Kauai by sharing resources to better care for one another.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE PAID
HONOLULU, HI
PERMIT NO 169
Kauai United Way
PO Box 1087
Lihue, HI 96766
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
In This Issue:
A Message from Executive Director Scott N. Giarman
A Message from 2014 Campaign Co-Chairs
Boy Scouts Complete Busy Summer of Events
Girl Scouts After School Hours Program
Kauai Robotics Alliance
Kauai United Way Walk-A-Thon
Providing leadership to unite the people of Kauai by sharing resources to better care for one another.