Four Kaua‘i groups receive grants from Takenaka family

PO‘IPU — Representatives from four recipients of the Takenaka Kaua‘i Cultural and Environmental Fund Awards were hosted to a special awards ceremony yesterday at the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa in Po‘ipu.

Recipients of the 2005 awards included the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii Kaua‘i chapters, represented by William Trujillo; the Garden Island Resource, Conservation, and Development, Inc. project, “E Ho‘omau Na Mea Ulana Hina‘i,” represented by Patricia Rouen; the Hyatt Employees Cultural and Protocol Group, represented by Mayette Loseto and Steven Domingo; and the Ku Kilakila All-Kaua‘i Island Marching Band, represented by Tammy Rollins.

Officers of Kawailoa Development/Tak Hawai‘i, Inc., a subsidiary of Takenaka Corporation, established an endowed fund with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation in November, 2000.

The purpose of the Takenaka Cultural and Environmental Fund is to support projects and programs that benefit the island of Kaua‘i through the perpetuation of cultural activities and preservation of the island’s special environment.

Myles Shibata, chief operating officer for Kawailoa Development, acknowledges the Takenaka family’s vision and values of supporting the communities in which their business is located. Their interest is reflected in their generosity through their charitable gifts, Shibata said.

The Takenaka Fund is a component fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, a statewide nonprofit charitable services and grant-making organization endowed with contributions from many donors.

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s mission is to help people make a difference by inspiring the spirit of giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every island community.

Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.