LIHUE — Keri Russell, Kauai county director of the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, was thrilled Thursday to receive $4,300 from The Cliffs at Princeville for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts. “There are more contributions coming in,” said Jeanette Liberato,
LIHUE — Keri Russell, Kauai county director of the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, was thrilled Thursday to receive $4,300 from The Cliffs at Princeville for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.
“There are more contributions coming in,” said Jeanette Liberato, Cliff’s accounting manager.
Russell said the support for the recent disaster has been amazing.
“The efforts are supposed to end by Dec. 31, but I think the response will continue on into the new year,” she said.
Liberato said she was watching the storm’s effects on television and was moved to ask Kimo M. Keawe, Cliff’s general manager, if the organization could contribute to the relief.
“What made this so special for us was the fact that we raised this money without any of our Filipino associates having any direct family connection to those who were victimized,” said John Young, Cliffs’ assistant general manager. “We simply felt strongly as a group that it was important to help our employees’ homeland during their time of need.”
Keawe said the effort started small, but snowballed.
“We are floored by this outpouring of support,” she said.
Young said a number of the Cliffs’ owners came forward and donated weeks from their ownership base for the staff to auction off.
“One of our owners even donated six watercolor drawings she had done to help the efforts,” Young said. “The outpouring of donations was amazing as the $4,300-plus amount attests to. The capper, however, was the final donation of $85 where 17 of our housekeepers each gave $5 toward the effort — money they could ill-afford with Christmas right around the corner.”
Oscar Portugal and Marynel Valenzuela of the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce said that since Dec. 1, the multi-organizational effort of community Filipino clubs have raised an estimated $35,000.
“The Kauai Visayan Club, the area which was most impacted by the typhoon, still has its community money boxes out and will continue to have it available through February,” Portugal said.
Queenie Pezario, one of the organizers of the craft fair and Boogie Night event, said the Kauai Filipino Humanitarian Society was formed shortly following the earthquake in the Philippines.
“Our intent was relief, and to have funds available ahead of any kind of disaster where funds are needed,” Pezario said. “Before we got off the ground, the typhoon struck. This event is on the tail-end of a lot of effort by a lot of people to raise relief funds for the people of the Philippines.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
