LIHUE — The HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union, with its Kauai branch located in the Kukui Grove Center, welcomed 2025 by distributing $2,500 shared between four different community groups.
Each of the awards was accompanied by messages wishing success and good days for the year ahead from the HawaiiUSA FCU ohana that includes Taylor Shigemoto, Karen Shigemoto, Gretchen Hashimura, Loraine Ballesteros, Tyson Ragasa, Tracie Victorino and Ricky Oshita.
The Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake, is celebrated on Jan. 29. According to the Chinese New Year website, celebrations continue for up to 16 days ending with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12.
The Kauai High School PAIRS organization, represented by Jojo Kawamura and Joni Gokan, were presented $500 towards the PAIRS scholarship efforts. The HawaiiUSA FCU ohana noted there weren’t any opportunities like the scholarships when they were in school.
Taylor Shigemoto went one step further than the check presentation, offering to get some of the fundraising Golf Ball Drop tickets for the PAIRS fundraising for Project Graduation that will be held at the Timbers Hokuala golf course on Feb. 2.
Two student members of the Kauai Bots team, Alakai Carter of the Hawaii Technical Academy and Zoe Sokei-Ganir, represented the Kauai Robotics Alliance that was presented $1,000 to help the program that will be sending a robot to participate in the FIRST Tech Challenge.
The Kauai Robotics Alliance is a nonprofit charitable organization that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education through robotics-related activities for all ages of students on Kauai.
Ballesteros said she has a daughter who is involved with the Boys &Girls Club of Hawaii, which received a $500 award to benefit the three BGCH clubhouses — West Kauai, Lihue and Kapaa.
Leroy Olen, the founder of Aloha Common Theatre and writer of “Kauai Love Story,” was joined by Derrick Adams and Rachel Beerman in accepting a $500 award that included a HawaiiUSA FCU Foundation and a Pay It Forward contributions.
Aloha Common Theatre held a scripted reading Jan. 19 at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall that marked the debut of Aloha Common Theatre.
Taylor Shigemoto encouraged Olen to keep the credit union updated on any future presentations Aloha Common Theatre is scheduling.
For more information about the HawaiiUSA FCU, visit its website at www.hawaiiusafcu.com.
