Fund-raising for love

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Being mentally challenged and unable to defend himself, Ken Ohama grew up being teased and shunned by playmates. His baby sister, however, was one person he could always count on.

Lei Ohama Rol, a volunteer fund-raiser for the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation, helped provide more than $25,000 last year to families of Hawai'i children with cancer. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Rol was a vice president in retail loans when she quit her job at Bank of Hawaii in February to become a full-time volunteer for Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation.

"At the bank, my job required a lot of time," she said. "At one point, I was working seven days a week. What I'm doing now is a full-time job that doesn't pay anything, but I'm a lot happier because it's so rewarding."

Married to William Rol, a Bank of Hawaii commercial loan officer, she's using money from personal savings to stay home and devote more time to her fund-raising efforts. Since 1999, she has lifted the 10-year-old nonprofit organization's fund-raising efforts to another level.

Last year, the foundation provided more than $25,000 in financial assistance to families of Hawai'i children stricken with cancer. It was the first time HCCF had been able to raise more than $10,000.

"Twenty-six families received assistance last year, compared to half that number the year before," Rol said. "Hopefully, this year we can do more.

Rol said that about 80 children in Hawai'i are diagnosed with cancer each year while 120 others are in treatment at any given time. Cancer treatments for children can last five years and statistics show that more than half of a family's income goes to out-of-pocket medical expenses, she said.

"It can bankrupt a family," she said. "But parents are going to do whatever it takes no matter what the costs because it's for love."

	Lei Ohama Rol
•	Age: 42
•	Position: Full-time volunteer fund-raiser for Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation
•	Education: Moanalua High graduate.
•	Background: Father is Katsumi Ohama, mother is the former Eiko Okamoto of Honoka'a. Youngest of five children (sisters Jun Ishibashi of Tokyo, Kei Nakagawa of Hilo, Mei Hanamura of Honolulu; brother Ken of Honolulu). Husband is William Rol, a Kaimuki High and UH graduate who is a commercial loan officer for Bank of Hawaii; mother of two children (Travis Pagaduan, 18, and Shaina Rol, 7). Worked at Bank of Hawaii from 1981-89 and 1995-2001. Was vice president in retail loans when she resigned in February.
•	Interesting Fact: Grandfather Futoshi Ohama was principal of Palama Gakuen (Japanese School). Her niece, Jaslyn Hanamura, is first princess in the 2001 Cherry Blossom court.

"When she shares the experiences of the children and cries, it's real," said Yemen Chung, a promotion and marketing entrepreneur, and a friend of Rol's.

Chung and his wife, Gloria, recently met Rol at Good Hope Church in Kalihi and were so impressed that they've agreed to help coordinate fund-raising efforts.

"Our bonding was so uniquely contagious," Yemen Chung said. "She's energetic, sincere, intelligent and articulate. There's nothing plastic about her."

At 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, Rol is not an imposing figure. But she has the personality and drive to become a major impact player in the highly competitive local market for charity dollars, many say.

"What strikes me is her effervescent personality and the confidence for what she wants to do for her charity," local celebrity Carole Kai said. "She's doing it for right reason and that's way she's successful."

Rol has an 18-year-old son from a previous marriage and a 7-year-old daughter. Neither has had problems with cancer, but that doesn't make Rol any less energetic about tackling the disease.

"You don't have to have a kid with cancer to do this," she said. "All you need to know is how hard it is to tell children they have cancer because the child will always ask the question, 'Am I going to die?' Then you see what parents do for their children."

A friend, Beth Worrall, recruited Rol five years ago to help with the foundation's "Children's Houses on Parade" fund-raiser. Rol began pitching new fund-raising ideas three years ago to the foundation's board, made up mostly of doctors and parents of cancer victims, but received lukewarm support.

"Some people say it can't be done but I always think anything can be done," she said. "Three years ago, we weren't going anywhere. There was less than $10,000 in the treasury and everything was run by volunteers. Nobody had time to commit."

So Rol decided to stage a benefit golf tournament at Waikele.

"I wanted to raise $10,000. My husband thought I'd be lucky to get $5,000," she said. "A lot of people signed up at the last minute and we netted $16,000. I was thrilled. Before the golf tournament, we were only raising money from donations and our Gold Ribbon sale in September."

That same year, Rol solicited a commitment from her neighbor, then-CRB (Certified Resident Brokers) Hawaii president Ron Lee, to donate proceeds from the real estate organization's golf tournament. It has been played for the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation for three straight years.

Calvin Tamaye, Ace Auto Glass vice president, joined the fold last year. All proceeds from his company's tournament goes to the foundation in memory of his nephew, Jordan Tamaye, who died of cancer.

"From the start, I felt there was trust enough to donate money to a cause that I didn't know anything about," Tamaye said of his first meeting with Rol. "I've learned a lot since about the foundation."

Rod Ohira can be reached by phone at 535-8181, or by e-mail at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.