Posted at 2:14 a.m., Friday, December 15, 2006
Two groups share GIFT Foundation money
Advertiser Staff
The GIFT (Giving Inspiration For Tomorrow) Foundation of Hawaii presented checks of $55,000 each to The Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the North Shore Community Land Trust Thursday at the Kahala Resort & Hotel.
GIFT, a three-year-old nonprofit volunteer organization of young professionals dedicated to supporting and empowering charitable groups in Hawai'i, raised the $110,000 awarded Thursday from its fourth annual sold out costume gala held in October.
Kokua Hawaii Foundation founder Jack Johnson and Blake McElheny of the North Shore Community Land Trust accepted the contributions of behalf of their respective organizations.
Kokua Hawaii plans to dedicate the funds toward its ongoing efforts to establish 'Aina In Schools, a farm-to-school program, in Hawai'i public schools.
Currently, the pilot 'Aina In Schools program is in five schools. The program features six integrated components: nutrition education in classrooms, promotion of healthy school lunches featuring local produce, garden-based learning, solid-waste management, far field trips, and community outreach.
The North Shore Community Land Trust's mission is to protect the 1,129-acre Pupukea Paumalu coastal bluff which overlooks the North Shore's famous surfing breaks. A coalition that includes the U.S. Army Garrison Hawai'i, federal government, local business, the surfing industry and private contributors have committed financial support for public acquisition of the bluff.
