O'ahu Army volunteers win national recognition
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
When USA Weekend magazine decided to spotlight community members from across the country who went out of their way to help their neighbors, Hawai'i made the top 10, thanks to a group of more than 2,000 enthusiastic Army volunteers.
Spec. Kara McCarthy • U.S. Army, Hawai'i
Staff Sgt. Christopher Norris, one of the volunteers, is leaving for Arlington, Va., today to accept a $10,000 donation from Paul Newman and Newman's Own Inc. on behalf of the 25th Infantry Division. The cash prize will help support more good works.
A 25th Infantry Division soldier rappels down the side of Diamond Head to collect litter dropped from above.
More than 2 million people volunteered on Make A Difference Day, Oct. 28, 2000.
The Army volunteers on O'ahu cleaned up parks, painted schools and took wheelchair-bound children and nursing home residents for outings.
Norris and members of his platoon had a unique method of volunteering. Norris and his group rappelled the walls of Diamond Head, picking up trash dropped from the trail above.
"It took us nearly six hours to do the rappelling," Norris said.
The efforts of the 25th Infantry Division are featured in an article in this week's USA Weekend magazine.
