On any given day in Hawaii, you'll find a battalion of Hawaiian Airlines employees knee-deep in the mud weeding loi (taro patches), on the beach collecting litter or painting elementary school classrooms. Or you'll find them sorting canned goods to distribute to families in need, helping guests navigate the airport during busy periods or passing out logo items to University of Hawaii sports fans. Our volunteers are easy to spot: They're the ones proudly wearing purple shirts emblazoned with Team Kokua, our employee-driven giving program, which supports community initiatives in culture, education, environment, and health and human services.
Last year, more than 1,200 Team Kokua members and their ohana volunteered 6,800 hours to support 175 organizations in Hawaii and across our network. In Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, employees cleaned beaches, helped food banks and restored endangered ecosystems and habitats. In addition to manpower, Team Kokua distributed $833,800 in travel support, HawaiianMiles and cash donations.
The numbers tell only half the story. What always impress me are the reasons Team Kokua members dedicate their time and energy to help others. "I feel lucky and grateful that I can give back," says Gail Hayashi, manager of cargo sales. "It's such a good feeling."
During the early days of the pandemic, Gail wanted to help struggling families. "It was a hard time for everyone," she says. "And I asked myself, 'What could I do to give back?'" Gail joined hundreds of Hawaiian employees to distribute food boxes at Aloha Stadium and Waipio Soccer Complex. One of the most poignant moments, she recalls, was when she saw a young boy sitting in the back seat of his family's car, carrying a sign that read "Thank You." When the car passed the row of volunteers at the soccer center, the boy rolled down the window to say it aloud. "It touches you," Gail says, "because it was truly meant from the heart."
Gail continues to take part in food drives and helps sort donated canned goods and produce at the Hawaii Foodbank. "I plan to keep doing it," she says. "It's my own source of dopamine."
Scores of employees give back in other ways. They coach youth sports teams, serve on nonprofit boards or belong to school committees and neighborhood associations. They volunteer at community and cultural events, are active members of their religious or spiritual congregations and protect and nurture the environment.
It was our employees who inspired the Hawaiian Airlines Foundation to award a $100,000 grant last year to Kakoo Oiwi, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing Native Hawaiian cultural, spiritual and traditional practices. The grant is funding the construction of an agricultural wash-and-pack station in Windward Oahu that local farmers can use to prep their crops for sale to markets and restaurants.
Our employees have deep aloha for their communities-and our communities are stronger because of it. When I see a crowd of purple shirts, I am reminded that Hawaiian Airlines is very much part of the fabric of Hawaii, and that it's our 7,100 employees who make us proud to be the hometown carrier.
From our ohana to yours,
