NAWILIWILI — Patrick Ono, Matson Navigation Company station manager for the Nawiliwili port, was a busy man Thursday as he juggled Matson Foundation giving progam donations.
Ono was on hand to help other Matson representatives, including Reni Domingo, Tivoli Jaquias, Walter Simpson and Kerri Kanahele, in presenting 2,003 pounds of food collected by Matson employees, and $1,000 in cash from the Matson Foundation.
The distribution was shared between Nana’s House and the Hale Ho‘omalu family centers that operate under Child and Family Service, with William Harrington guiding.
The Matson ohana at the Nawiliwili port started the tradition of giving to Nana’s House and Hale Ho‘omalu family centers with 620 pounds of food collected in 2013. In 2015, the Matson family collected 1,100 pounds of food, and the effort was bolstered with the contribution of $1,000 from the Matson Foundation.
In 2016, 1,900 pounds of food was collected and supplemented with a $1,000 contribution from the Matson Foundation. There was no food drive in 2017. Instead, the employees contributed $500 in cash before the delivery that was done on Thursday.
As the vehicles moved into place to receive the ton of food, Ono was off to pick up Gary Nakamatsu, the Pacific chairman from the Matson Foundation of the Honolulu office, to make a $10,000 contribution to the Kauai United Way at the United Way’s annual meeting and mahalo luncheon at the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach.
The $10,000 helped boost the Kauai United Way 2017 campaign to $595,837. The goal was $650,000.
“The Kauai United Way has always been a huge part of Matson’s Kauai island support because of its agency and social service support,” Ono said. “But, most importantly, because money raised on Kauai stays on Kauai.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
