Volunteer selected from list of 10By JASON GALLIC TGI Sports Editor Last Thursday, this newspaper reported that Edmond Acoba, Pop Warner football president, was selected as one of 10 finalists for the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association HEROES Award. Today, the
Volunteer selected from list of 10By JASON GALLIC
TGI Sports Editor
Last Thursday, this newspaper reported that Edmond
Acoba, Pop Warner football president, was selected as one of 10 finalists for
the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association HEROES Award.
Today, the news
is better.
Monday, Acoba was notified that he had been selected as one of
the three finalists for the award. As such, $15,000 will be donated to a
charity or charities of his choice, and he will receive a personal gift of
$3,000 from the organization.
In addition, Acoba and his wife will travel,
all expenses paid, to Las Vegas January 19 for the presentation of the award.
For a man who has sacrificed many a weekend and virtually all of his vacation
time to better the lives of island children, the vacation will be well
deserved.
“It’s going to be very nice,” Acoba said. “I’m going to go over
there with nothing to worry about, without a care.
“And I’m so excited
about the award. I really was speechless.”
Acoba said he was honored to be
one of the final three selected.
“There are a lot of good candidates for
this award,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there doing a lot in their
communities, for their kids.”
And Acoba is one of them.
He has been
involved with Pop Warner football for 13 years. From 1987 to 1992 he was a
coach in Kekaha. He has been president since 1993.
Acoba also has been
involved with youth baseball, basketball and track. He has worked with the
Special Olympics and has been a basketball and football official for the KIF.
In addition, Acoba is the Food Booth Chairman at his church.
When he’s not
balancing his time between all of these volunteer activities and his job as a
public defender, Acoba gives time to his family. He has a wife, Holly, and two
boys, Michael (8) and Beau (7).
“I called my wife as soon as I found out,”
Acoba said, “and told her to check her calendar in January.
“I think my
kids will be excited to go to Vegas, too. I’d like to try and take
them.”
Acoba said he has yet to decide on a charity for the money. He did
say that the funds likely will be divided between two or more, however.
“I
think I’d like some of the money to go to developing our park out in Kekaha,”
Acoba said. “We could use a batting cage, and we need to fix up the field. [It]
would be nice to get a portable backstop, too. So we’ll see.”
The original
SGMA awards, handed out to one person from all 50 states (and one for the
District of Columbia), are intended to honor those who, through their unique
commitment and humanitarian spirit, have made an exceptional and lasting
contribution to the pursuit of sports excellence, sportsmanship, participation
or opportunity within their community.
