Make-A-Wish Hawaii 2021 Edition 1 Newsletter

2021: Edition 1

Holiday Events & Campaigns like Jingle Rock Ride and Show Aloha Land Meet our 2021 Gala Honorees

I wish to have my own videography equipment Pua, 15, Wailuku cancer

WishfulThinking • Note from Trini

Aloha Wish ‘Ohana, Across the world, 2020 was all about innovation. And granting wishes in Hawaii was no exception. Together, we found our stride and discovered creative new ways to continue raising essential funds and granting life-changing wishes for keiki across the state with critical illnesses.

ON THE COVER Fifteen-year-old Pua’s wish to have her own videography equipment was granted recently thanks to generous donors Steven and Karen Sato. Read more in this issue!

Photo: Associate Nicole of Anna Kim Photography

B O A R D O F D I R E C TO R S Jeff Higashi - Board Chair Erik DeRyke – Vice Chair Cal Chipchase - Secretary Manoj Samaranayake - Treasurer Todd Apo Rachel Bradley Tom Calame Julianne Erickson Rick Fried Scott Higashi Michelle Ho Charles Hunter Todd lacovelli Joe Medwetz Brenda Mitchell Katie Pickman Mike Rompel Keri Shepherd Andrew Shimabukuro Tiffany Vara Brian Wong Dr. Greg Yim

CONNECT WITH US @ M A K E AW I S H H AWA I I

Thanks to your generosity and aloha, the holiday season was an inspiring culmination of this year-long effort. There are countless heartwarming examples of our community safely coming together to give hope to keiki in need—like Maui volunteers Jennifer McNeff and Nikki Yamamoto taking the lead on granting Pua’s wish to have her own videography equipment since our Oahu team was unable to travel…or Mike Gangloff and Show Aloha Challenge Foundation donating over $42,000 in December after including Make-A-Wish Hawaii in the magic of their impressive holiday light display at Aloha Stadium…or the more than 1,700 supporters who participated in our reimagined holiday event, Jingle Rock Ride.

I hope you enjoy reading more about the truly exceptional ways in which our wish ‘ohana came together this season to inspire hope for brighter days ahead.

Thank you for wishing with us and for your continued support!

Much aloha,

Trini Kaopuiki Clark President and CEO

We are pleased to share that Make-A-Wish Hawaii was recently recognized as the winner of the 2020 Torch Award Charity of the Year for Hawaii by the Better Business Bureau. A Torch Award is the most prestigious BBB award presented to exceptional organizations for their dedication to integrity and ethical business practices. Mahalo nui loa for your partnership!

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Newsletter | 2021: Edition 1

Kids for Wish Kids

“I’m a physician, so I’ve seen how illness affects kids and their families. Anything we can do to make their lives better is important, and this is also just such a wonderful learning opportunity for the girls.”

–SOPHIA’S FATHER, DR. JEFFREY YU

F U N D R A I S E R S P OT L I G H T

10-year-old Sophia Yu starts recycling program to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Hawaii

F

or over a year now, 10-year-old Sophia Yu and her ‘ohana have been helping to malama the environment while also making wishes come true through their recycling and fundraising initiative, Recycle4Wishes. The program just made its first $1,200 donation to Make-A-Wish Hawaii (MAWH)!

Sophia started the initiative last year after learning a classmate of hers was fighting cancer and would be receiving a wish.

With a desire to make a difference, Sophia approached her father, Dr. Jeffrey Yu, about making a donation in her friend’s honor to MAWH. Dr. Yu encouraged Sophia to think about ways to make a more lasting impact, which led to the idea for a recycling program benefiting MAWH.

Since then, Sophia and her co-CEO, 8-yearold sister Allison, have grown the project through word of mouth. Originally pulling a wagon full of recyclables from neighbors, the girls now have earned partnerships with local companies, performing regular recyclable pickups with their family. They’ve also created a website, recycle4wishes.com, where community members and companies can coordinate pickups or volunteer to assist with the initiative.

Sophia and Allison also plan to donate an additional $1,000 of prize money to MAWH after earning honorable mention in a business plan competition through Chaminade University.

To learn more, visit recycle4wishes.com

Mahalo, Yu ‘Ohana!

Watch Sophia Yu's story on Living808

2021: Edition 1 | Newsletter

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WishfulThinking • Events

RECENT EVENTS

Thanks to our generous sponsors and golfers, October’s

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er

14th Annual Swing for Wishes at Hawaii Prince Golf Club was a huge success! Although we were physically distanced, it was a wonderful day on the green that raised over $70,000 to deliver strength and hope to our wish children and their families. Special mahalo to Make-A-Wish Hawaii Board Chair Jeff Higashi and wish dad Travis Kikuchi for co-chairing this year’s event and to all of our sponsors.

RECENT CAMPAIGNS

As part of the nationwide annual Macy’s Believe campaign, Macy’s donated $1 for every letter to Santa written in-store or online this holiday season, up to $1 million! Mahalo Macy’s for your continued partnership!

From November 1 to December 31, 2020, Subaru Hawaii donated $250 for every new Subaru purchased in Hawaii to four charitable causes, including Make-A-Wish Hawaii.

Mahalo for sharing the love and raising $10,000 to make wishes come true!

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Newsletter | 2021: Edition 1

Campaign extended! Book a staycation at ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach now through December 23, 2021 and help make wishes come true! Use the promo code LOVEWISH when booking and a portion of your stay will support Make-A-Wish Hawaii.

For the past eight years, thousands of community supporters and wish families have joined together to celebrate the holiday season and the life-changing power of a wish at the annual Jingle Rock Run. This year, we knew we could not hold this event as usual, so we dreamed up the idea for a new kind of celebration—one that would be safe for our your enthusiasm, heart, and holiday cheer made it just as special as ever. Thanks to your participation, fundraising, and generous gifts, we raised more than $117,000 to make

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community but with the same important purpose. And although this event was a first,

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wishes come true for deserving keiki across our islands. Mahalo to the more than 1,700 participants and generous sponsors who joined us in spreading cheer this holiday season!

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The CCIM Hawaii Chapter, which provides education, networking and market services for local commercial investment real estate specialists, recently donated $12,500 to Make-AWish® Hawaii after a year-long online fundraising initiative. Mahalo CCIM!

This holiday season, Ice Cubed Hawaii presented “Make A Snowman” kits, complete with shave ice “snow,” decorations, and syrups donated by Harders Hawaii. This was a fun and safe activity families could do together at home, and, even better, $10 from each kit went toward granting life-changing wishes here in Hawaii!

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PRESENTED BY

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For the month of November, Jams World donated 50% of each sale of its fashionable face masks toward making wishes come true.

WishfulThinking • Recent Wishes

CHANGE THE LIVES OF WISH KIDS Mahalo for making wishes like these possible!

I

n the midst of battling a critical cancer diagnosis, 15-year-old Wailuku wish kid Pua found strength and hope in her wish journey.

Pua’s wish to have her own videography equipment was granted recently with the help of volunteers Nikki and Jen, who conducted virtual visits with Pua and her family over the past few months to discover her wish. Our staff on Oahu were unable to attend the wish granting in person, but Jen and Nikki seamlessly executed each portion of the socially distant wish reveal at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka’anapali, where Pua unwrapped and tested out her new equipment on the grounds of the hotel. Special mahalo to Steven and Karen Sato for generously granting this wish!

I wish to have my own videography equipment Pua, 15, Wailuku cancer

“Pua lit up with the possibilities. She was ready to dive into film, to edit, to fly the drone and to create content all at once. This is a life-changing and lifeenergizing experience.”

-Wish Mom Ellen

Read more and watch Pua’s wish video here!

Photo: Abe McAulton

Photo: Anna Kim Photography

I wish to be a horse trainer Sarah, 5, Kapolei leukemia

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Newsletter | 2021: Edition 1

Five-year-old wish kid Sarah is a spunky, freespirited child who has loved horses since her first ride at just 2 years old.

Sarah has always dreamed of riding and taking care of horses herself, but her battle with leukemia has gotten in the way. That changed in December, when the first part of Sarah’s wish to be a horse trainer took place on the Windward Side of Oahu.

Sarah and her ‘ohana spent the day learning about, feeding, and riding horses.

From start to finish, Sarah couldn’t contain her excitement and didn’t want the day to end.

I wish to have a Rifton TRAM electric lift Tyra, 12, Kealakekua nervous system disorder Special mahalo to donors Rick and Teresa Price for adopting 12-yearold Tyra’s wish to have a Rifton TRAM electric lift that is aiding in her mobility! Says wish mom Neivbea, “Knowing that she will be able to use and grow with the help of the equipment means a lot to our family.

It will not only help Tyra, but also help us as caregivers to be able to properly care for her needs.”

Photo: Mariah Milan Photography

A Legacy of Aloha: Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts-Marriott Waikīkī Director of Cultural Services Aunty Kehau eagerly awaits welcoming wish keiki back to our islands

W

e sat on the sand and watched the sun begin to rise, its rays breaking through the stormy sky and spilling onto the gentle waves of Waikiki Beach in front of us. It was just over a year before the pandemic took hold, and our team was hosting a very special wish for 18-year-old Rebekah of California, whose mother had unexpectedly passed just months prior, right in the height of her own battle with lymphoma.

Rebekah had wished to honor her late mother, Alma, and we arranged for a private memorial ceremony led by Director of Cultural Services at Kyo-Ya Hotels & Resorts- Marriott Waikiki, Kehaulani Thelma Kam, affectionately known as Aunty Kehau in our wish community.

Aunty Kehau described the interconnectedness of the world, the symbolism of the ocean surrounding us, and the trust that Alma’s soul was with us.

Then, she led Rebekah and her sister to the water.

Rebekah waded into the waves, scattering a handful of orchids into the ocean as she prayed first for her sister, next for her father and the rest of her family, and then for herself. She saved the final prayer, and the last handful of flowers, for her late mother.

Photo: Abe McAulton

Although visiting wishes like Rebekah’s have been on hold during the pandemic, we have not stopped

reflecting on the aloha that has touched thousands of wish families’ lives here in Hawaii over the past 37 years—aloha shared by caring community partners like Aunty Kehau.

Born and raised in Lanikai, Aunty Kehau has always been driven by a desire to help others and to share the values that guided her upbringing: family, aloha, and taking care of one another.

As the Director of Cultural Services, she bridges her decades-long hotel industry experience with her desire to share Hawaiian culture with others. Aunty Kehau’s work is all about sharing aloha with guests from around the world through cultural experiences, as well as through training her associates to do the same.

Of the many guests Aunty Kehau encounters in her work, wish families like Rebekah’s hold a special place in her heart. And as tourism begins to reopen, Aunty Kehau is eager to share aloha and healing energy with these families once again as soon as wish travel resumes.

“Aloha simply means giving of yourself with no expectations in return. Make-A-Wish is a perfect example of that, because you are there for [wish families] and trying to think of ways that will make others’ lives whole.”

-Aunty Kehau

To the wish children currently waiting to visit our islands, Aunty Kehau encourages strength, a smile.

Read more about Aunty Kehau’s story and watch Rebekah’s moving wish video here.

2021: Edition 1 | Newsletter

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WishfulThinking • Wish! Gala

Hana hou! Last year, we placed our Cuban-themed, in-person celebration on hold for the safety of our guests and instead hosted our first-ever virtual

a virtual night in old

gala, WISH! A VIRTUAL CELEBRATION OF HOPE. This year, we are pleased to share that we will be returning both to the airwaves and to the vibrancy of Havana for our 10th annual gala. WISH! A VIRTUAL NIGHT IN OLD HAVANA will be televised

May 15, 2021

on Saturday, May 15 on Hawaii News Now’s K5 (Channel 6), as well as livestreamed on their digital platforms, including the Hawaii News Now app, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku, and Make-A-Wish

I wish to see snow

I wish to meet Pluto

Shore, 10, Kaneohe

Adonis, 7, Kaneohe

lymphoma

seizure disorder

Hawaii’s Facebook Live.

During the program, we’ll once again be recognizing local supporters who have gone above and beyond to impact the lives of our Hawaii wish families.

From medical partners and volunteers to board members and donors, many people come together to grant just one wish. These honorees have each helped us fulfill our mission in their own unique ways.

GALA HONOREES

Photo: Simply Baby Photography

Corporate Partner of the Year - Nan, Inc. Why do you support Make-A-Wish Hawaii?

We believe in the mission of Make-A-Wish to help make wishes come true for children with critical illnesses and in the team that works to facilitate these dreams. Much like Nan, Inc. creates and builds lasting structures, we feel it is equally important that we build and perpetuate the “Aloha” in our community by supporting local charitable organizations and giving our employees the opportunity to be active supporters in charitable events.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

Blue – it represents “HOPE” which is what we and Make-A-Wish Hawaii strive to provide our wish recipients.

I wish to have a Frozen princess picnic Anela, 7, Honolulu leukemia

Gala Honorees

Volunteers of the Year James and Peter Mateo Why do you support Make-A-Wish Hawaii?

We support Make-A Wish-Hawaii because we believe in the power of a wish. We have experienced firsthand how a wish can transform a child’s outlook, inspire them and give them hope for the future. It gives the entire family a moment of relief from reality and a chance to love and heal in the moment. We are also continually inspired by the dedication, sincerity and integrity of everyone associated with Make-A-Wish Hawaii. I can’t think of a better way to spend my resources and time than giving back to our kids.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

Make-A-Wish blue or baby blue because they are such classic colors, and shades of blue promote positivity, health and wellness.

Philanthropist of the Year Jade Richardson

Medical Partner of the Year Dr. Greg Yim

Why do you

Why do you

support Make-

support Make-A-

A-Wish Hawaii?

Make-A-Wish understands how an illness impacts a family, and it is reflected in the detailed planning and execution of that wish. The time, energy, and resources that they put forth is admirable. I witnessed first-hand the effect of a granted wish.

Our daughter Maddy was diagnosed with high-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on April 28, 1998 at the age of 2 ½. It was devastating…Everyone everywhere went out of their way to be accommodating and showered us with compassion and kindness that built the memories that we talk about 20 years later. Supporting Make-A-Wish is my way of giving back, paying it forward to ensure that someone else’s child will be able to experience those life changing moments.

Wish Hawaii?

I have worked the past 25 years of my career as a pediatric neurologist teaching hope to my patients and their parents to manage their neurologic illnesses. The Make-A-Wish mission allows me to combine HOPE with the JOY, HAPPINESS and SMILES that the magical wish can bring to a family.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

A 1959 Blue Porsche Coup, which is the same car that my dad drove when he returned home from France when he served in the U.S. Army as a physician.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

Hands down a 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible in candy apple red. I have always loved this style. It’s sleek with gentle curves, so classy and a convertible—who would not want that?!

Magic Makers of the Year Dave & Buster’s Hawaii Why do you support Make-A-Wish Hawaii?

Supporting Make-A-Wish Hawaii comes natural to me. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and have been doing for as long as I can remember. When living in California before Make-A-Wish, I would take gifts to the kids at the Children’s Hospital at Cedars. Because it was the right thing to do.

A smile is all I need, and coming from kids it’s even more special.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

Blue and Orange—Dave & Buster’s colors!

Wish Family of the Year Wish Kid Zeila & ‘Ohana Why do you support Make-A-Wish Hawaii?

We support Make A Wish because we want every family to experience the lasting effect a wish has: the gratitude, the memories, and the community you become a part of. All of the opportunities Make-A-Wish Hawaii has given us to help out have not only been A LOT of fun, but it’s kept us grounded. It reminds us how far Zeila’s come through her lupus journey and to not forget that there are others in similar situations right now that could really use that extra support, aloha, and magic themselves. We’re not wish granters, (at least not yet), and we don’t have a lot of money to donate, but if there’s any way we can help another family experience a wish then we’re always up for it. Everyone is so genuinely caring it’s contagious, it’s hard to NOT want to support Make-A-Wish when it’s an all-around win.

What color classic car would you be driving in Havana?

Gold

WishfulThinking • Show Aloha Challenge

SPOTLIGHT:

M I K E G A N G LO F F O F S H O W A LO H A CHALLENGE

W

hen Kalihi native Mike Gangloff first heard the news that Oahu would be shutting down last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he turned to his wife and said, “A lot of people are going to be hurting from this. We have to do something.” On March 23, the 47-year-old father of five and local business owner took $30,000 of his own money to start the Show Aloha Challenge Foundation. Mike purchased food from local restaurants to help them stay in business and then had it delivered to kupuna at their homes to keep them safe.

Thanks to his continued efforts, the SAC Foundation has received over $2 million in donations, delivered 400,000 meals, and sent 1,000 flowers to nursing homes to help lift residents’ spirits. As the pandemic persisted and the holidays approached, Mike channeled this desire to uplift and inspire the community into a safe, impressive drive-through light display at Aloha Stadium. The result—Show Aloha Land, A Holiday Wonderland From First Hawaiian Bank—was built entirely by hand and featured over one million LED lights.

The last week of the show, January 3 - 9, was dubbed “Make-A-Wish Week,” with 15 percent of ticket sales going toward making wishes come true here in Hawaii. The partnership resulted in a generous donation of over $40,000 to Make-A-Wish Hawaii, a special VIP tent area for wish families, and first-class experiences of the show for wish families every night—truly bringing light and hope to wish keiki at a time when it was needed most. We spoke with Gangloff to hear more about what inspired him to give back and make wishes come true.

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Newsletter | 2021: Edition 1

Q. What was your vision for Show Aloha Land, and how was that vision achieved?

A: Simply to bring the spirit of

Q: How does it feel to know you’ve made such a difference in changing the lives of Hawaii children fighting critical illnesses?

A: Very humbling, proud of my

Christmas to families in these unprecedented times.

Q. What were some highlights looking back now that the event has ended?

A: A million smiles and a sea of

laughter and joy in a time when that is in short supply.

Why did you choose to partner with Make-A-Wish Hawaii?

A: I knew of Make-A-Wish Hawaii

for a long time. I wanted to help families who were not only dealing with this pandemic, but also with fighting critical illnesses.

team, and very happy to uplift the community with smiles from ear to ear from young to old.

Q: Why is it important for people to give back to the local community through initiatives like this?

A: I believe that it should be

everyone’s number one goal in life to leave this earth better than it was.

Q: What message do you have for local wish children currently waiting for their wishes to be granted?

A: (Have) faith and hope! Speak it,

walk the path, give 100% to every task at hand, and it will be!

Three-year-old Pearl City wish kid Skylar and his ‘ohana enjoyed a VIP experience during Make-A-Wish Week at Show Aloha Land!

Meet our Leadership Team!

In the last issue, we introduced you to the dedicated members of our Board of Directors and Young Leaders Board, but we also wanted to spotlight the ongoing support of our existing team of impressive local leaders driving our mission forward and leading by example with heart, generosity, and passion. In this issue, we’re pleased to introduce you to Andrew Shimabukuro and Cayenne Pe’a.

B OA R D S P OT L I G H T

Andrew Shimabukuro Andrew first heard about Make-A-Wish over 25 years ago during a trip to deliver toys to the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles during the holidays. One of the patients was wearing a MakeA-Wish button, and Andrew asked about the organization. Over the years, he assisted with several wish reveal parties through his work in the food service industry.

After returning home to the islands in 2019, he joined the Make-A-Wish Hawaii Board of Directors, finding his new role as general manager of Dave & Buster’s Hawaii a perfect fit, as the company hosts many of our wish reveal parties. Personally and professionally, Andrew consistently goes above and beyond to support the journeys of our wish kids fighting critical illnesses through wish reveals, generous donations, event support and more.

Says Andrew, “I always wish I could do more, as there are so many kids out there to help. I know it sounds like a cliché, but kids are the innocent ones; they don’t ask for things out of their control. At least we can control wishes. We can control what we give and what we do to make their lives easier to deal with the uncontrollable.”

YO U N G L E A D E R S B OA R D S P OT L I G H T

Cayenne Pe’a Principal and Co-Founder of Alaka’i Development, Cayenne Pe’a first joined the Make-A-Wish Hawaii Young Leaders Board in 2017 with a desire to give back to the local community. Since then, she’s been active in advancing our mission, spearheading the Ambassador’s Committee, designed to welcome visiting wish families to our islands, and serving on both the Finance & Audit Committee and the Young Leaders Board’s Executive Committee. Although she makes personal gifts to Make-A-Wish Hawaii, Cayenne has always had a desire to be hands on in making a difference.

In addition to her various leadership roles, Cayenne has also volunteered her time as a wish granter, working directly with families to identify and grant their most heartfelt wishes.

That role, Cayenne says, has been her most rewarding. Last year, she helped bring Honolulu wish kid Alyssa’ wish to meet the Korean pop band Stray Kids to life. Cayenne is pictured here with Alyssa during an interview about the wish on KHON2’s Living808.

Says Cayenne, “I’ve personally seen the impact that [illness] can have on those that are affected. So to be able to give back to an organization that gives hope and brings joy to those affected by critical illness has been so incredibly meaningful.”

2021:hawaii.wish.org Edition 1 | Newsletter 11 • 808-537-3118

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Photo: Abe McAulton

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UPCOMING EVENTS 2ND ANNUAL STARS AT HOME: A VIRTUAL TALENT SHOW BENEFITING MAKE-A-WISH HAWAII April 22-29, 2021 Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

a virtual night in old

WISH! A VIRTUAL NIGHT IN OLD HAVANA Saturday, May 15, 2021 7:00 p.m.

Airing on Hawaii News Now’s K5 (Channel 6) and Make-A-Wish Hawaii’s Facebook Live wishgalahawaii.com

I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Jaevhyn, 7, Kapolei leukemia Photo: Simply Baby Photography