By Barry Villamil, President, Rotary Club of Pearlridge
On Friday, December 6, 2024, the Rotary Club of Pearlridge (RCOP) featured special guest speaker and dear friend Naomi Tully-Ungatca, Director of the Pearl City Foundation (PCF) at the club’s lunch meeting held at the Pearl City Shopping Center Conference Room. The RCOP also presented a well-deserved Poni Pu’uwai – Purple Heart Certificate Recognition Award to Naomi for opening the Pearl City Foundation’s Momilani Community Center to residents and visitors to the Pearl City community which includes our Military families.
Poni Pu’uwai – Purple Heart Certificate Recognition Award
“For your committed support and service to our Great local & Military Communities of Aiea and Pearl City.”
For the past seventeen years, Naomi has overseen outstanding programs and events at the Pearl City Foundation’s Momilani Community Center that welcomes the community to participate in year round. The Pearl City Foundation’s Intersession Program serves 150 students during school year breaks: Summer, Winter, Spring. Intersession students participate in educational, fitness, sports programs and exciting and fun field trips (every Friday during each Intersession).
Events held at the Momilani Community Center include:
- Annual Halloween Bash that welcomes the community and their Ohana to participate in a fun and safe Halloween night event. 1500 residents and visitors to the Pearl City community enjoy a fun Halloween Night experience that includes a lot of candy treats and a costume contest with fantastic prizes.
- Annual Marine Corps Reserves Toys For Tots Christmas Toy Drive that collects thousands of Toys and monetary donations from our very generous community, Pearl City Complex Schools, and Corporate sponsors that benefit Hawaii’s needy keiki in the spirit of Christmas giving.
- Annual Pearl City Easter Egg Hunt that invites keiki ages 0-12 to hunt for special Easter Eggs to win great prizes. 500 keiki participated in last year’s 2024 Easter Egg Hunt. Prizes are generously donated by Corporate sponsors and partners led by Title Sponsors Hawaiian Electric and the Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association and many more sponsors.
Pearl City and Aiea Military members and their ohana are represented in each of the programs and events mentioned above. Naomi, Pearl City Foundation Board of Directors, staff, and core of community volunteers are the Heart and Soul of the success of serving the community through the Pearl City Foundation and Momilani Community Center.
The Rotary Club of Pearlridge is extremely proud and honored for the opportunity to recognize Naomi for her work in the community while serving Military families and their keiki.
PCF Director Naomi Tully-Ungatca is the true spirit of Rotary Internationals “Service Above Self”.
Photos by Rotarian’s Clarence De Lude and Barry Villamil
