While a selfish minority may steal the show sometimes, a benevolent majority still rules the roost. We often hear of these charitable types who consistently put others before themselves. Whether just in passing or in the paper, their stories are
While a selfish minority may steal the show sometimes, a benevolent majority still rules the roost.
We often hear of these charitable types who consistently put others before themselves. Whether just in passing or in the paper, their stories are ones we proudly share.
Big examples and small, this week proved no different.
The Garden Island on Wednesday reported the Rotary Clubs of Kaua‘i 2010 Humanitarian Award winners. Each of the six humble recipients was well deserving of the honor.
From water safety advocate John Tyler’s efforts in installing rescue tubes at unguarded Kaua‘i beaches to Michelle “Mickey” MacMillian’s health care work that has earned her the affectionate title of “angel” among her patients.
Not to mention Tali McCall’s success in establishing drug education and Save Haven programs on the Garden Isle.
Or Kilipaki Vaughn’s fine work in authoring grants that provided 15 new firefighters to man the Kaiakea station, which translates to a $1.6 million savings for county taxpayers.
A big mahalo also goes to James Miller, who has worked tirelessly and thanklessly as a recently promoted Kaua‘i police detective. “Our goal is to make the community safe, and that becomes personal,” he said at the awards banquet Monday night.
After being presented the humanitarian award for homeless care, Dori Farias of Hale Ho‘omalu said it is the collaborative effort of many people behind her that gets the job done.
We commend the Rotarians for honoring these community heroes. We also commend the six Rotary clubs on Kaua‘i for their continued service in the community, workplace and throughout the world.
As the Rhode Island Rotary President Ray Klinginsmith stated, “Rotary is the best in the world at linking people of goodwill around the globe and then gaining their cooperation and support to make the world a much better place to live and work.”
We’ve also seen countless volunteers from the Lions Clubs, Key Clubs, Interact Clubs, and several local churches giving up a Saturday or Sunday to help collect food and money for the various charities on island like Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank and Kaua‘i Red Cross, to name a few, to ensure that the community has the necessary supplies and services for those in need.
Dozens more residents deserve similar praise for their daily compassionate contributions to society.
There are countless stories like that of a Lihu‘e man who stopped last Sunday along the highway to help a visitor from Alaska change her flat tire. Kathy Miller, the Juneau resident who has considered Kaua‘i her home away from home for the past 25 years, extended her thanks to the thoughtful unnamed gentleman in a letter to the editor Thursday.
We can turn our eyes inward and live our lives focused solely on our selves, or we can unite as community members willing to work together for the betterment of all with selfless acts of kindness and humility.
The choice is ours. We hope you make the right one for Kaua‘i.
