Volunteerism rears its friendly head

Imagine Gary Baldwin directing traffic at Lihu’e Airport.

For at least four hours last weekend, and probably more, Baldwin’s expertise from his time as a car-rental company executive came in handy as he joined other volunteers making sure the airport’s first full day of regular operation in nearly four days ran smoothly.

According to Gini Kapali, director of the Kaua’i County Office of Economic Development, Baldwin’s sharp eye helped identify the rush of returning rental cars by a small bar code located near the windshield on the driver’s side.

Diverting rental cars before they made it curbside at the airport helped reduce congestion at the terminal “big time,” said Kapali.

Baldwin, of the Kaua’i Economic Development Board, Kaua’i member on the Hawai’i Tourism Authority and member of the county Planning Commission, joined volunteers from island Rotary clubs, American Red Cross, Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, KEDB, OED and others in helping avoid the gridlock predicted Friday and Saturday as visitors left the island after not being stranded for three days by the grounding of air travel following the East Coast terrorist attacks.

Friday was a busy day at Lihu’e Airport, with check-in lines for both Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines stretching from the counters to the curb, then down toward the baggage claim areas.

That was in the morning. By afternoon, the airport was still busy, but not like the crowds seen Friday and Saturday morning. Many connecting flights to the mainland from Honolulu leave in the early afternoon, necessitating mid-morning departures from Kaua’i.

Among the Red Cross people working at the airport was Alfred Darling, branch manager, who beamed as he talked about the Kaua’i volunteers.

Darling said there were 65 volunteers on alert since last Tuesday, ready to pitch in and open and man shelters if they were necessary to assist stranded visitors.

The shelters weren’t necessary, but still the Red Cross, working with the Visitors Bureau and county Civil Defense agency, came together as a single working entity that made Darling proud.

“I can’t say enough about the volunteers,” said Darling.

In the meantime, the local Red Cross office, at the corner of Rice and ‘Umi streets in Lihu’e, is accepting cash donations for the New York City and Washington, D.C. relief effort.

Money is the best thing to donate, he said.

“The cash buys exactly what’s needed,” said Darling, adding that the Salvation Army (on Hardy Street in Lihu’e and Puolo Road in Hanapepe) is set up to accept donations of clothing and other items.

Fanning out across the country, the Red Cross has helped at airports as well as the three disaster sites (New York City, Washington, D.C. and near Johnstown, Penn.), offering shelter, blankets, crisis counseling and food to victims, their families and emergency workers.

Donations can be made by calling 245-4919, the state Red Cross chapter at 1-808-739-8105, the toll-free 1-800-HELP-NOW (435-7669), or via credit card over the secure Web site www.redcross.org.

Volunteers can’t give blood immediately without leaving the island to do so, but the Blood Bank of Hawai’i will be on the island from Oct. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, Oct. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall, and Oct. 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaua’i Community College.

Operators at the toll-free blood bank appointment and information line, 1-800-372-9966, said they have been taking calls for appointments since last week’s tragedies.

Wilcox Memorial is not normally set up to receive blood donations except when the blood bank is in the house, said Lani Yukimura, hospital spokeswoman. In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the mainland, the hospital received about 60 calls from people wishing to give blood, including at least 10 visitors, she reported.

Many businesses, schools and other entities, including the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, had mass gatherings during Friday’s national day of prayer and remembrance as declared by President Bush.

But Kahn Galleries went one step further, closing the doors of all four locations for the entire day (Old Koloa Town, Anchor Cove in Nawiliwili, Hanalei and Waipouli’s Kaua’i Village).

The Rotary Club of Po’ipu Beach pledged $5,000 to send to New York City to establish a scholarship fund for survivors and children of police and fire personnel who perished at the World Trade Center. A New York City Rotary club will administer the funds.

Also, over 30 members of the Rotary Club of Po’ipu Beach agreed to donate an additional $100. Donations have also been made by the Kiahuna Golf Course homeowners association.

Anyone interested can donate to the Rotary scholarship fund by sending checks made payable to the Rotary Club of Po’ipu Beach and mailed to P.O. Box 1588, Koloa, HI 96756.

Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).