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C H A M I N A DE MAGAZI NE
Mahalo Scholarship Luncheon THE MOST REWARDING PART ABOUT GIVING IS SEEING YOUR DONATION IN ACTION. AS MORE THAN 70 DONORS WITNESSED ON FEBRUARY 20, A DONATION TO CHAMINADE HAS TANGIBLE BENEFITS AND CHANGES THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS.
Each year, the Mahalo Scholarship Luncheon brings together donors who have supported our scholarship fund with students who have received a scholarship. It’s an opportunity for the students to thank their scholarship donors personally, and let them know just how much their support has made a difference in their educational journey. “When someone gives to our scholarship fund, they’re not just making a donation,” says president Lynn Babington. “They’re transforming a student’s life, and often the entire course of a family. Many of the recipients are first-generation students and they depend on these scholarships.” The event started with an oli from the students to the donors. Following, the students draped lei on the donors in gratitude, and then sought out the individuals who created the scholarship they received to join them for lunch. Leslie Blount attends the event each year representing the Richard T. and Leslie N. Blount Scholarship for military students and dependents. The scholarship was established by her late husband, Richard, right before he fell ill. “This event is one of my major highlights,” says Leslie. “I just love interacting with the students. They never cease to impress me with all of their accomplishments and I’m just so grateful that they are living my husband’s dream. It gives me such joy to know that his wish to help students connected to the military is being fulfilled.”
