More than 50 dolls collected by the Kapa‘a Lions Club will be distributed to residents at the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital on Feb. 7.
“Dolls have been coming in,” said Janice Bond, who along with Helena Cooney, both associate members of the Kapa‘a Lions Club, spearheaded the project of delivering dolls for at least 50 of the hospital’s residents.
“We should have more than the 50 dolls when we do the delivery on Feb. 7.”
The project was sparked by the holidays when the Kapa‘a Lions Club prepared and delivered holiday gift packages to the SMMH residents. The contents of those packages included personal-hygiene items, activity books and stuffed animals provided by The Salvation Army thrift store.
“Kapa‘a Lions Club President Walton Hong and Secretary Lion Jed Somit are excited to be completing the third care-package delivery to Mahelona Hospital in five months,” Cooney said. “In October and December, goodie bags of socks, lap blankets, toothpaste and other necessities were delivered.”
It was one of those deliveries that brought the need for baby dolls for patients to cuddle.
“When we made the delivery, it was so cute,” Bond said. “The residents were grateful and appreciative of the gift packages. But there was one lady who became attached to the doll she received. She kept passing it around, and other residents came over. The interaction was so cute.”
The incident triggered Cooney into making the project a reality since the Kapa‘a Lions Club recently inducted 10 new Lions, including Michelle Carlson, Deslynn Jaquias, Golf Komolsirisom, Todd Landgren, Rebecca Like, Merlayne Low, Lonnie Lykos, Janna Makepa‘a, Marialiisa Pettengill and Gina Sparks in a ceremony conducted by Lions Past District Governor Kelvin Moniz.
“The Kapa‘a Lions Club is being rejuvenated,” Cooney said. “It has now 20 members, including the two associate members, and a variety of service projects are being planned in keeping with the interests of the club’s members.”
Cooney said for the project of collecting dolls, there was an attempt for diversity because the club does not know the ethnicity of all the patients. The goal is for the patients to feel comfortable cuddling with their dolls.
“The project took on a life of its own once it was announced on social media,” Cooney said. “It is with great pleasure we can announce that we have all 50 dolls promised, and the last few are on their way to the island.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
