By Barry Villamil, President, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) received the ultimate Rainbow Warrior/Wahine “Fan Experience” from Eric Matthews, University of Hawaii Athletics Marketing Director who brought his dynamic energy, inspiration, and love for UH Athletics and the Rainbow Warrior/Wahine fan base ohana and supporters as the special guest speaker at the RCOP lunch meeting held at the Pearl City Shopping Center conference room on Friday, August 23, 2024.
Matthews was fantastic and opened his guest appearance talk touching upon his plight and journey to Hawaii and the University of Hawaii Athletics Department after becoming a huge Rainbow Warrior fan during the Colt Brennan era. What makes his story even more inspirational is at the time, he was living and working in Kentucky, a long way from Hawaii, University of Hawaii Manoa campus, and Aloha Stadium. His dream and passion was to make it to Hawaii one day and become a part of UH Athletics. It was not easy, but he was patient, persistent, and eventually was offered a role as a part of the UH Athletics Communications Department. Matthews worked previously as a radio sports announcer and in communications at the Division II level in Kentucky.
The RCOP and guests were extremely touched by Matthews heartfelt story of falling in love with the Rainbow Warrior football team led by Colt Brennan. He told a story of ordering a Colt Brennan jersey from the UH Bookstore and the call he received from UH asking if his order was real, all the way from Kentucky? Well, it was definitely a legitimate order and twenty years later, shared the jersey of the late iconic Rainbow Warrior QB with us all at the meeting.
Matthews is reshaping the UH Athletics Marketing Department with his high level of enthusiasm and innovative connections to the Rainbow Warrior/ Warrior fan base. He has added “Fan Experience” to his Marketing Director title that directly touches upon and impacts the heart and soul of Rainbow Warrior/Wahine athletes, fans and supporters by incorporating game day unity that focuses on a fun, intimate, and GO BOWS experience from keiki to kupuna.
It is true to say that Matthews “Bleeds Green” and is a dynamic asset to Rainbow Warrior/Wahine athletics.
I would like to extend a special mahalo to a great friend Terry Visperas from the University of Hawaii Athletics Marketing Department who organized and accompanied Marketing Director Matthews to the RCOP lunch meeting on Friday,
Congratulations to the Rainbow Warriors who opened the 2024/2025 football season on Saturday, August 24 with an impressive 35-15 win over visiting Delaware State at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. The Rainbow Warriors will take on PAC 12 powerhouse UCLA on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at home with kick-off scheduled for 1:30pm.
GO BOWS!
Rotary
Service Above Self
Photos by Clarence De Lude
Video by Barry Villamil
