A group of Kauaians will hand-deliver 400 care packages to New York City firefighters, police officers, paramedics and port authority officers next month. While there, friends and officers of Kaua’i Senior Centers, Inc. have been invited to a gathering at
A group of Kauaians will hand-deliver 400 care packages to New York City firefighters, police officers, paramedics and port authority officers next month.
While there, friends and officers of Kaua’i Senior Centers, Inc. have been invited to a gathering at the Roxy Theater marking the six-month anniversary of the terrorist events that racked New York City.
Jose Bulatao, president of Kaua’i Senior Centers, Inc., along with board member Ron Agor and his wife, Helen Olores of Kapa’a senior center, and John Hoff will leave Kaua’i in two weeks to deliver the care packages, called Aloha Packs.
The idea of preparing and sending out packages of Kaua’i- and Hawai’i-made goodies including cookies, coffee, Hawaiian salt and seasonings, macadamia nuts, honey, jams, jellies and other items, originally came from Hoff and Bulatao as a way to recognize the efforts the U.S. armed forces are playing in fighting the war against terrorism across the globe, after September 11, 2001, Hoff said.
Just by chance, Hoff made a call to New York City and got a New York Fire Department chaplain on the line who also has duties including coordinating ceremonial and recognition events.
Hoff took the opportunity to tell the chaplain about the gift packs, hundreds of which have made their way into the hands of men and women of the U.S. armed services around the world.
The chaplain said packages like that would be welcome respite for the emergency response workers who continue to toil in and around the area formerly occupied by the World Trade Center now commonly known as ground zero in lower Manhattan.
Now, Hoff and others will get the chance to deliver the packages in person, bringing with them some fabled Kaua’i aloha spirit as well.
Among those who have already received care packages are Gen. Eric Shinseki, Kaua’i native and U.S. Army chief of staff, President Bush, and hundreds of active-duty service men and women around the world.
Many of the active-duty personnel received the packages because family, friends and loved ones on Kaua’i provided addresses to Bulatao, Hoff, volunteers from Kaua’i Senior Centers, Inc. and Kaua’i veterans organizations, which have been helping assemble the packages for shipment.
Mayor Maryanne Kusaka is preparing a proclamation for the Kaua’i group to carry to the rescue workers in New York City, and has authorized a fund-raising campaign among county departments, Hoff said. The idea is to get each county employee to donate at least $1 to the cause, which will fund purchases of cardboard boxes and the goodies to go inside them, he added.
