Hawaii District 50 Lions Club members and friends representing Pearl City, Mana Loa-Nimitz, Kalakaua, Chinatown, and Kapolei volunteered to clean, paint, and beautify the Pearl City Cultural Center on Saturday, August 23, 2014 as a part of the hours required to secure a $10,000 Grant from the Weinberg Friends Program that was funded by the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.
The $10,000 grant was presented to Pearl City Foundation (PCF) Executive Director Breene Harimoto by Pearl City Lions Club President Jerry Nagatani following Saturday's work day project. The Weinberg Grant will go towards funding and supporting under privileged youth in the PCF Intersession Program.
"The Weinberg Foundation will donate $10,000 to Pearl City Foundation and we are using that $10,000 as a scholarship for the under privileged children who can’t afford the PCF intersession program," said Breene Harimoto, Executive Director, Pearl City Foundation. "The $10,000 Weinberg Grant funds six students year round and the Pearl City Foundation is kicking in for the other two. So at least we have one student per elementary school in Pearl City. Thank you to the Weinberg Foundation for their generous donation to support Pearl City students as well as all the Lions clubs."
The Pearl City Lions Club worked with the group of District 50 Lions Club volunteers to coordinate and execute Saturday's work day project for the benefit of the Pearl City Foundation and its Intersession Program.
“It’s a nice day for this type of project. We got about 40 Lions and assortment of friends that are doing a heck of a job chopping the weeds and painting the curbs and some of the columns," said Dexter Aoki, Board Member and community service organizer, Pearl City Lions Club. “We’re really grateful that so many people showed up and showing a lot of Lions spirit here today. This is a Weinberg Project and the Weinberg Foundation is donating $10,000 dollars to the Pearl City Foundation. The requirements are 25 Lions putting in 4 hours of work, but we’ve exceeded our expectations as far as turnout and looking forward to more projects like this in the future. Today’s materials were mostly donated. We had a contractor up on Alewa Heights who gave us 23 – 5 gallon tubs of paint and luckily the paint matches the walls so we’re going to touch up some of the walls over here. Thank you for all the Lions Clubs helping out today. We have Mana Loa-Nimitz, Kalakaua, Chinatown, Kapolei, so thank you to everybody who is participating."
“Well the good Lord has provided us with a beautiful day and we’ll get this place beautified again," said Brian Nitta, Board Member,, Mana Loa-Nimitz Lions Club. "This has been a one and a half day project actually because we still got the backside to go once we finish the front. We had a good turnout from our club and several other clubs as well. We really appreciate the Weinberg Foundation and all that that they donate to the community."
Photo courtesy of Paul Kudo, Pearl City Lions Club
Mahalo Hawaii District 50 Lions Club and community volunteers from the following
clubs and organizations (pictured at the Pearl City Cultural Center on Saturday, August 23, 2014):
Pearl City, Mana Loa-Nimitz, Kalakaua, Chinatown, Kapolei and the Pearl City Foundation.