Virginia Aguilar, a Waimea High School graduate who will attend Hardin-Simmons College and play volleyball, and Jeremy Albano of Kapa‘a High School, who will attend the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and try to make the swim team, were recently
Virginia Aguilar, a Waimea High School graduate who will attend Hardin-Simmons College and play volleyball, and Jeremy Albano of Kapa‘a High School, who will attend the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and try to make the swim team, were recently awarded Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) scholarships.
They were among 47 Hawai‘i scholar-athletes who received thousands of dollars in tuition assistance from the foundation, during an annual awards luncheon on O‘ahu.
Kahanamoku’s legacy was carried forward, ODKF leaders said, as members of the foundation created in his honor awarded college scholarships to 47 Hawai‘i scholar-athletes, pushing its total in overall grants for the past year to $75,000.
The ODKF leaders recognized awardees during the annual luncheon at the Outrigger Canoe Club.
ODKF President Tim Guard noted, “ODKF is an incubator for nurturing Hawai‘i’s young adults in the same spirit that Duke himself did throughout his lifetime. And like Duke, these outstanding students are Hawai‘i’s future ambassadors. They’ve earned our support to help them succeed.”
ODKF members awarded $35,750 in scholarships to 47 college students for the 2004-2005 school year, both figures the most ever awarded by the foundation.
The awardees come from all six islands, and are comprised of 35 women and 12 men. Some 32 attend school on the Mainland, and 15 in Hawai‘i; 24 are first-time awardees, and 23 are returnees; There are 25 graduates of public schools and 22 from private schools in Hawai‘i.
ODKF awards college grants for academic and athletic excellence, with candidates meeting the minimum criteria: be a Hawai‘i resident; attend college; participate in a competitive sport; and demonstrate the need for financial aid. In Kahanamoku’s honor, preference is given to competitors in water sports or volleyball.
The scholarships, along with grants ODKF leaders presented to clubs and organizations providing community sports and youth programs in Hawai‘i, boosted the foundation’s awards for the past year to $75,000 — also the most ever.
“The more donors give to ODKF, the more we can support Hawai‘i’s deserving students and programs that help our community,” said Guard.
Revered worldwide and credited at the “Father of International Surfing,” Kahanamoku is considered Hawai‘i’s greatest athlete, winning six Olympic medals — including three gold medals in swimming — during a 20-year career.
ODKF is a public, nonprofit foundation created in February 1986 with the mission to financially support the development of individuals and organizations which perpetuate the spirit and legacy of Kahanamoku.
For more information on how to support “Duke’s Foundation” or apply for a grant, visit the Web site at www.dukefoundation.org or call 1-808- 526-4888.
