People who made a Difference

Dorothy Tolliver (from left), Susan Werner and Sara Foley inside The Holoholo Bookmobile

Wesley Lo

Judy Guajardo (from left), Alida Murray, Candice Carter and Kimber Niemann of Na Hoaloha

Nominated by the people of Maui for 2016

Don McLeish

The Maui News MATTHEW THAYER photos

Dean Yamashita (left) and Craig Okita A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S1

People Who Made a Difference Past and Present

2016 Holoholo Bookmobile: Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner Wesley Lo Don McLeish Na Hoaloha Craig Okita and Dean Yamashita 2015 A Cup of Cold Water Magdalena Bajon Judge Joseph E. Cardoza Bo Mahoe Betty Ventura 2014 Capt. Timi Gilliom and members of Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua Hui O Na Wai Eha SPCA Maui volunteers Scottie Zucco Gina Marzo 2013 Maui ranchers and farmers breeding moths to fight invasive Madagascan fireweed West Maui Kumuwai Mervin “Uncle Merv” Dudoit Dennis Burns and Suzanne Burry Jack Breen Continued on the back page

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For Maui, a never-ending story We have been saluting the people who inspire us for 22 years

By LEE IMADA Managing Editor

The “People Who Made A Difference” is a favorite of mine during this most wonderful time of year.

Having had a hand in this annual holiday season feature since its inception 22 years ago, the stories of Maui County residents’ acts of selflessness and contributions that mean so much to children, the elderly, the sick, the less fortunate and everyday members of our community impress and warm my heart every year. They give me hope for humankind; that in a world that can be so ugly and angry, there are people in our small community who work behind the scenes for the most part, anonymously in many cases, without want of awards or recognition.

They just want to help and better our community.

Our five 2016 People Who Made A Difference offer diversity representative of the community we live in.

Some of them are not familiar names in the news, like Don McLeish, a name that may not be known to the community in general but is forever etched in the lives of those he has saved, swimmers caught in the dangerous rip current at Honokowai Point. Then there are Craig Okita and Dean Yamashita,

who use the game of baseball to instruct young boys and girls in the game of life. The coaches, former stars who donate countless hours year in and year out, led teams that won international and national youth baseball championships that brought glory to the county this summer.

of the Library to raise $300,000 for the gift to the public library system to replace a bookmobile that had broken down and was off the road, but they lobbied state lawmakers to provide a librarian for the traveling library that visits adult day care centers, public and private schools, preschools and

For the second time, we solicited nominations from the public and received 49 nominations. There were many other nominees who made a difference in 2016 and are deserving of the honor and recognition. Regretfully, space and staffing limitations force us to keep the list at five individuals or

Our five 2016 People Who Made A Difference offer diversity representative of the community we live in.

Wesley Lo is more prominent, having recently led Maui County public hospitals on a rough and tumble path to a public-private partnership. He felt it was the best option for the financial stability of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital and marshaled public support behind his plan to reform county public hospitals. It was a multiyear effort that experienced defeats, victories and last-minute twists but appears to be headed to fruition in July.

Like Lo, Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner worked toward a single-minded goal for years: to deliver The Holoholo Bookmobile. They not only led the effort with the Maui Friends

Boys & Girls Clubs.

Na Hoaloha is a gathering place for Maui County volunteers, nearly 250 of them serving more than 600 elderly and people with disabilities in the tri-island county.

They do “really small things” that “really do add up,” said one official. Probably the most important thing the volunteers offer is company, someone to talk to. For those of us who go about our busy lives every day at work and home, company and another person to speak to may be the last thing we desire, but for those isolated members of our community, the call or visit by a Na Hoaloha volunteer means so much. The interaction brings them out of the darkness of loneliness and into the world.

ing newsmakers who made a difference, and not always in a “good” way. Eventually, People Who Made A Difference evolved to recognize good people for good deeds, often outside the spotlight of the media.

Through the years, more than 200 Maui County men and women have been recognized, from Masuru “Pundy” Yokouchi in the first year in 1994 to A Cup of Cold Water, a group of volunteers from assorted Maui churches who aid the homeless, in 2015.

Na Hoaloha volunteers, McLeish, Okita and Yamashita, the bookmobile women and Lo are special members of our community because of the breadth of their volunteerism and efforts to make our community a better place. They don’t just go to work and ply away at their jobs or write checks to Maui’s nonprofits or volunteer one weekend at a beach cleanup — efforts that are important and not to be diminished. But there is a commitment, a fervent drive to conjure a better life for others from this group of People Who Made A Difference that can only be an inspiration to the rest of us.

groups.

The five People Who Made A Difference were selected by votes of The Maui News staff, a practice since the inception of the feature in 1994. The votes were close and decisions were difficult, a measure of the quality of the nominees.

For most of its run, the feature ran on New Year’s Eve, beginning on the front page.

It moved to Christmas Day in 2013 and became a Christmas tabloid last year.

People Who Made A Difference is the brainchild of Christie Wilson, a former Maui News city editor and the current features editor at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, with the support of then- ■ Lee Imada can Editor David Hoff. be reached at The feature began by nam- leeimada@mauinews.com.

“Malama Pono ame Mahalo to all who recognize the privilege and value in service to our community … together, we can make a positive difference to serve society.” m

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A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S2

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

They say good things come in threes. That’s certainly the case with Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner, who joined forces five years ago to purchase a gift for the Hawaii State Public Library System: The Holoholo Bookmobile.

“We decided that if we were going to give a bookmobile to the state, we wanted to give it the very best,” Foley said. “And that’s what we did.”

The trio met several years ago through their mutual love of books.

Tolliver is the reference librarian at University of Hawaii Maui College and past president of the Maui Friends of the Library; Werner is the branch manager at Wailuku Public Library; and Foley is a Maui Friends of the Library board member who also spearheaded the remodeling of the Lahaina Public Library in 2012.

Bookmobiles have a storied past on Maui. The first, a Ford Roadster with a rumble seat, hit the road in 1926, and since then, several iterations of the mobile library have rolled through town, driving home a love of reading.

In 1995, state budget cuts deprived Maui’s bookmobile of a critical component: a librarian.

“The position was eliminated,” Werner explained. “We only had a driver.”

Then, last year, the decades-old bookmobile gasped its last breath.

“It was beyond repair,” Tolliver said. “We’d known for some time that it was on its last legs. We were doing a lot of repairs.”

In anticipation of the bookmobile’s impending demise — and the lack of funds to replace it — the women made a pact five years ago: They vowed to raise enough money

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The Holoholo Bookmobile Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner write a new chapter in Maui bookmobile history

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Dorothy Tolliver (from left), Susan Werner and Sara Foley pose with the new Holoholo Bookmobile they helped bring to Maui. They also got lawmakers to fund a librarian position for the bookmobile. to purchase a new bookmobile through the Maui Friends of the Library and then lobby state legislators to pay for a mobile librarian and a driver.

The Maui Friends of the Library

was established in 1912, following the opening of the first Free Public Library at the Alexander House Settlement in Wailuku. Today, the nonprofit organization funds materials and programs for Maui Coun-

ty’s libraries in addition to what is allocated through the Hawaii State Public Library System. The Maui Friends of the Library has three, allvolunteer-run bookstore locations: Puunene (behind the old Puunene School), Kahului (in the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center) and Lahaina (in The Wharf Cinema Center).

With their fundraising in place, the women mobilized quickly. Tolliver headed the Maui Friends of the Library’s bookmobile committee, Werner served as the bookmobile consultant, and Foley acted as the political navigation expert for the purchase of the bookmobile.

“It took us three years, but we did it,” Foley said.

Remarkably, the $300,000 bookmobile was funded entirely by the Maui Friends of the Library through the sale of thousands of donated and used books, many of which would have likely wound up in the landfill.

“That’s a lot of 25-cent books,” Tolliver said. “This was really a community effort — the patrons of the bookstores paid for this bookmobile.”

In 2015, after years of strategic planning, speaking to community groups, working with graphic designers and bookmobile consultants and attending bookmobile conferences, the women embarked on the final leg of their journey.

“That was the big push,” Werner said. “We went to the state Legislature and said: ‘Here’s the gift we purchased for you, now can you

Mahalo to all those who made a difference in our community.

Your hard work and dedication to improve the place that we, and the individuals we take care of live is much appreciated.

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S3

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please give us a librarian and a driver?’ ’’ And they wouldn’t budge until that happened.

“We went to every legislator’s office,” Tolliver said. “We weren’t going to take no for an answer. . . .

We were going to see this thing through.”

Their dogged determination paid off. After years of writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls and knocking on legislators’ doors, the state Legislature agreed to fund the positions.

In September, the Holoholo Bookmobile made its inaugural run.

It has its own full-time librarian, Jessica Gleason, and a full-time driver, Michael Tinker. Housed at the Wailuku Public Library, the 30foot-long bookmobile makes up to 40 different stops every three weeks, including senior housing complexes, adult day care centers, private and public schools, preschools, Boys and Girls Clubs, homeless centers and neighborhoods.

The custom-designed, state-ofthe-art traveling library has no shortage of impressive features, including an onboard computer system, Wi-Fi, rollout awning, hybrid engine, skylights and solar panels.

There are books for every age and every reading genre, along with periodicals, e-books, videos, DVDs and CDs. Readers can preorder books or browse the selection onboard; they can renew or sign up for a library card, too.

For Foley, Tolliver and Werner, the Holoholo Bookmobile is a dream come true.

“Every time I see it, it makes me happy,” Werner said. “It feels like all is right with the world . . . and in library land.”

To learn more about the Maui Friends of the Library, visit www.mfol.org.

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By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

When he was the chief executive officer of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui Region, Wesley Lo found a way to turn a bad day around: He’d observe an openheart surgery.

“It kept me connected to what was happening at the hospital,” he said. “It was also a reminder of why I did my job.”

Twelve years ago, Lo took the helm of Maui Memorial Medical Center. Managing a hospital is something his younger self never would have imagined, Lo said.

“Not a chance,” he laughed. Lo, who earned a degree in finance from the University of Colorado, thought he’d be a numbers guy for life.

After college, Lo returned to his hometown of Honolulu and landed a job at First Hawaiian Bank, and in 1990, moved to Maui to open the bank’s Wailuku and Kahului branches.

“I thought I’d be on Maui temporarily,” he said. “But then I realized this is where I wanted to be.”

Lo left the banking industry in 1998 to work under then-Mayor James “Kimo” Apana as the county’s Department of Finance director. Then, in 2002, Lo entered uncharted territory when he became the chief financial officer of Maui Radiology Consultants.

“It was my first exposure to the health care field,” he said. “I knew nothing about medicine, the human body, any of it, until I took that job.”

Clearly, it was a good fit. A year later, Lo was hired as the CFO of MMMC, and in rapid succession, became the interim CEO, and then the CEO in 2004. Soon, he found himself doing more than crunching numbers.

“It was a steep learning curve,” he said. “But I was so fortunate to

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Wesley Lo From the heart

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Wesley Lo, the former chief executive officer of the quasi-public entity that runs Maui Memorial Medical Center, led efforts to improve the Wailuku hospital, including the construction of the wing in the background. He also led the difficult battle to create a public-private partnership with Kaiser Permanente to operate Maui Memorial, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital. be around people who could help me understand it all. There’s something truly incredible about people who work in the health care field — I learned that right away.”

That’s when Lo dove headfirst into what he calls “the grand experiment.” He set out to improve Maui County’s health care delivery system. “I had a tremendous opportunity to do something good, to do the right thing,” he said.

During his tenure, he oversaw several major improvements, including the construction of a fourstory wing, the addition of a helipad, the creation of regional boards and a significant increase in hospi-

tal revenue. In 2007, under his leadership, Maui Memorial Medical Center opened its state-of-theart Heart, Brain & Vascular Center.

“The doctors and the community wanted it, and I was convinced of it, so we took a chance and made it happen,” Lo said.

Four years later, the hospital added a new cardiology program to provide the community with worldclass heart care.

“I watched the first open-heart surgery and first coronary angioplasty at the hospital,” Lo said. “It changed my life.”

Most recently, Lo was a driving force in facilitating the pending

transfer of Maui County’s public hospitals to Maui Health System, a subsidiary of Kaiser Permanente. It was a grueling, often frustrating, several-year process that involved garnering public support and lobbying the Legislature to get the public-private partnership passed as a way to provide a firmer financial footing for the hospital that was bleeding millions of dollars a year.

The transfer, initially set to occur on July 1 of this year, was put off a year to July 1 next year over a labor union lawsuit and a dispute over transition benefits for state workers moving to the private Kaiser.

As CEO, Lo listened with an

CONGRATULATIONS Craig Okita & Dean Yamashita on your commitment and dedication for instilling the “Pono…Do What Is Right!” values through baseball.

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S4

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open mind and an open heart.

“That’s how all of us can contribute,” he said. “You have to listen to your heart and the people around you.”

Lo attributes his successes to those he’s worked with over the years.

“The community has been wonderful to me,” he said. “All of this has been a community effort.”

It hasn’t always been easy, though.

“I’ve had to make some tough decisions and some unpopular decisions, too,” he said. “It was daunting at times, but I was resilient and stayed the course, because it was the right thing to do.”

Last month, before he could witness the fruits of his work with the public-private partnership, Lo stepped into his new role as CEO of Hale Makua Health Services and said he’s looking forward to charting the future of the organization.

“I’m coming in at a really good time,” he said. “I’m really excited about the prospects. I’m very happy to still be in the health care field.”

Looking back on his career, Lo says it was all pure luck; he was simply in the right place at the right time.

“Sometimes you facilitate the natural progression of things,” he said.

But those who have benefitted from Lo’s visionary leadership might argue otherwise — they’d likely say he did the right thing at the right time.

Lo says he’s seen Maui’s health care delivery system flourish over the past 13 years, and he’s hopeful the trend will continue in the years to come.

“If we break down barriers and work together, Maui will have a one-of-a-kind health care system,” he said. “I think it will happen . . . and we will be the envy of a lot of places.”

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Don McLeish

By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

Seven years ago, Don McLeish was on a mission to photograph some sea horses.

“Underwater photography is a hobby,” he said. “I’ve taken thousands of photos of sea critters.”

Sea horses are hard to find in Hawaiian waters, but a friend tipped him off: A sea horse had been spotted at Honokowai Point.

So, McLeish grabbed his underwater camera and headed to the point.

There, he discovered the elusive creature frolicking on the shallow reef. He also took notice of the uncongested waves and reef break nearby.

“It was ideal for riding my Waveski,” he said. “I’ve been riding waves here almost every day since.”

But something else caught his attention that day: a rip current flowing near a trio of moored buoys just a few yards away. A rip current is a powerful, narrow channel of fastmoving water that can flow at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It’s a force to be reckoned with — some rip currents can outpace an Olympic swimmer. Inexperienced swimmers who are swept into a rip current often try to make a beeline back to shore; many of them succumb to fatigue and drown.

McLeish, who has been surfing since he was a kid, knows how to safely maneuver out of a rip current.

“In general, one should not fight the rip by swimming against it and often swimming perpendicular to its flow direction will get you out of it rather quickly,” he said.

Not long after he started surfing at Honokowai Point, McLeish

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Making waves, saving lives at Honokowai Point Don McLeish points to Honokowai Point, where he has saved many swimmers from the dangerous rip current. He’s towed more than 100 people out of the rip current since 2009, likely saving their lives.

The Maui News MATTHEW THAYER photo

made his first rescue.

“A man was hanging on the buoy, waving his arms, yelling ‘help me,’ ’’ he said. “I took him to shore on my Waveski.”

It would be the first of many rescues; McLeish has towed more than 100 people out of the rip current since 2009. And he’s not alone: There are several good Samaritan surfers who have come to the aid of panicked swimmers clinging to the buoys and signaling for help.

The closest lifeguard is stationed nearly 20 minutes away from the

buoys, and despite signage warning beachgoers of the dangerous conditions, close calls are a fairly regular occurrence.

McLeish has likely prevented an untold number of incidents by unabashedly approaching people on the beach and telling them about the rip current. Most of the time, they heed his warning. Even so, McLeish comes to the beach prepared.

“I have a spool of line and a float in my car that I have used a couple of times,” he said.

Two years ago, McLeish reached

his physical limit. “I’m not getting any younger,” he said. “It was getting harder for me to tow people to shore.”

So, he went to his computer and composed a mass email expressing his concerns. Among other things, he noted the staggering number of people who had been rescued by private citizens, which eliminated the need to call 911.

“I don’t think people were aware of how serious the problem was,” McLeish said.

That email eventually landed in the inbox of Maui Fire Department

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Battalion Chief of Ocean Safety Colin Yamamoto, who promptly called McLeish. “Colin has been very proactive,” McLeish said.

“He’s really gone above and beyond to address the situation.”

When a storm and high tide washed away the signage fronting the beach path last winter, McLeish alerted Yamamoto; they are currently working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kaanapali Beach Club and marine educator Liz Foote to replace the signs. The two men are also involved in an effort to educate beachgoers about ocean safety and proper coral reef etiquette.

In August, Yamamoto asked McLeish to speak at the annual Hawaii Ocean Safety and Drowning Prevention Conference in Kaanapali. There, he told an audience about the dire situation at Honokowai, pointing out the need for more and improved education and prevention efforts.

“I will be a voice for this issue as long as I’m needed,” he said.

The most ideal solution, McLeish said, is to post a lifeguard at the beach or assign a roving lifeguard to routinely patrol the area. “I hope to see that happen someday soon,” he said.

Until then, McLeish will continue to keep a watchful eye at Honokowai Point.

“If I see someone in distress, I paddle over and give them floatation and companionship until help arrives,” he said. “If someone needs help, you’re not going to turn your back on them.”

And if he sees beachgoers heading into the surf with inner tubes or boogie boards, he won’t hesitate to stop them in their tracks.

“You have to be proactive,” he said. “That’s how you can save a life.”

C ongratulations to all the nom inees and to the C hosenH onorees for 2 0 16 in recognitionof their dedicationand contributions to the P eople of M aui.

W e w ould like to extend a special“M ahalo” to Nom inee Ron Panzo forallhe’s done forM auiand B eyond!

25 S. Kahului Beach Road, Kahului • (808) 871-7595 • Mon-Fri 7 am - 5 pm • Sat 9 am - 5 pm A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S5

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Na Hoaloha

By SARAH RUPPENTHAL For The Maui News

Candice Carter can tell you with absolute certainty that the little things can make a big difference.

“The small things really do add up,” she said. “That’s something I see every day.”

Carter is the executive director of Na Hoaloha, a nonprofit organization that pairs volunteers with seniors or people with disabilities ages 18 to 60 who need assistance with daily tasks — or just a friend to talk to.

Na Hoaloha (“loving friends”) was established in 1996 by Sister Roselani Enomoto, who rallied several faith-based groups to help Maui’s seniors remain independent and out of long-term institutional care.

“Our No. 1 goal is to provide our kupuna with what they need so they can stay in the community,” Carter explained.

When the organization opened its doors 20 years ago, it had 57 clients and 35 volunteers on its roster. Today, Na Hoaloha’s four-person staff oversees 244 active volunteers who lend a helping hand to more than 650 clients on Maui, Molokai and Lanai — at no cost to the client. Of the 650 participants, roughly 82 percent are 65 or older, 38 percent live alone and approximately 41 percent are low income.

But all of them have one thing in common: They are at high risk for social isolation.

A solitary life can take a toll on a person’s mental and physical health, which is why Na Hoaloha’s services are so vital — and now more than ever. This year, the organization’s client intake increased by a staggering 60 percent. It’s a trend that Carter says will continue, as Hawaii tops the nation in growth of

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Making sure there’ s someone to talk to, just one call away

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Judy Guajardo (from left), volunteer coordinator; Alida Murray; Candice Carter, executive director; and Kimber Niemann pose for a photo in the Na Hoaloha office in Wailuku. Na Hoaloha is a nonprofit organization that pairs volunteers with seniors or people with disabilities who need assistance with daily tasks or just a friend to talk to. people over 85 years of age.

Even so, the organization does not have a waitlist, and it will not deny or reduce its services. All services are provided by volunteers, which makes Na Hoaloha the only organization of its kind in Hawaii, Carter said.

Those services include “friendly visits” (a volunteer visits a client on a regular basis) and door-to-door escort transportation.

“Our transportation volunteers take kupuna to their doctor’s ap-

Serving Maui for over 46 years Commercial/Contract/Residential

pointments, go shopping with them or help them run errands,” Carter said. “Sometimes, they have meals together, too.”

The objective, she said, is to help frail elders stay engaged, live independently and remain at home as long as possible.

There’s also a telephone reassurance program, which offers something many people take for granted: a phone call from a friend. But for homebound seniors or people with disabilities, a simple phone call

may be the brightest spot in their day. Telephone assurance volunteers call once or twice a day to check in, offer medication reminders or just chat for a while.

“These are things a lot of us don’t think about,” Carter said.

“But for those who live alone, it can make a big difference.”

This year, Na Hoaloha added a falls prevention volunteer program and an in-home respite training program (which provides around-theclock caregivers with much-needed

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intervals of rest) to its list of services.

“We stay on top of the research so we can identify the priority issues that impact seniors’ quality of life,” Carter said.

Without question, Na Hoaloha’s volunteers are the backbone of the organization. “We are so fortunate to have so many dedicated and compassionate volunteers,” Carter said.

“We couldn’t do it without them.”

Ask any of the Na Hoaloha volunteers and it’s likely they’ll tell you this is more than just a community service project — it’s an investment in enduring friendship.

“Many of our volunteers cared for their parents or grandparents at one point,” said Judy Guajardo, Na Hoaloha’s volunteer coordinator.

“They know how important it is to reach out and help someone.”

Volunteers and clients are carefully matched according to geography, personality and shared interests.

“We also ask our clients: ‘What is one simple thing you’d like to have for yourself?’ ’’ Guajardo explained. “We almost always make that thing happen. That’s why I never have a bad day at work.”

As for who derives more joy — the client or the volunteer — well, sometimes it’s hard to tell. Na Hoaloha has many longtime volunteers; some have been with the organization since its inception two decades ago.

“Our volunteers really love what they do. They make a difference in the quality of life for Maui’s kupuna every day,” Carter said.

“That’s why this organization is so special. . . . There would be a lot of loneliness if we weren’t around.”

For more information about Na Hoaloha or to learn more about volunteer opportunities or the organization’s “Sponsor a Kupuna” program, visit www.nahoaloha.org.

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Dean Yamashita & Craig Okita Stepping up to the plate, making a positive impact through baseball

By SARAH RUPPENTHAL

Dean Yamashita (left) and Craig Okita, former opponents on the diamonds of their youth, are coaches for the All Pono Organization. They teach more than baseball to their young players; they use the game to offer lessons about life.

For The Maui News

For Craig Okita and Dean Yamashita, “baseball is life” is more than just a catchy slogan — it’s a guiding principle.

To say that the two men are familiar with the game would be an understatement. Okita played shortstop for Baldwin High School, then took the field for University of Hawaii; Yamashita pitched for Maui High School and went on to play for California State University, Fullerton.

They may have played on rival teams at their alma maters, but Okita and Yamashita are far from adversaries. Today, as coaches for the All Pono Organization, Little League and Baldwin High School, the two men clearly make a good team — and in more ways than one.

It all started when Okita and Yamashita met up on a T-ball field nine years ago. They weren’t total strangers: Yamashita had coached Okita’s younger brother and both played on the same State AJA (Americans of Japanese Ancestry) team in 1995.

In 2007, the men signed up their then-5-year-old sons to play for the All Pono Organization, a nonprofit organization that emphasizes “pono” values through athletics and community service programs. All Pono started with two softball teams in 2005, and since then, it has grown to 13 softball teams, nine baseball teams and 10 soccer teams, all of which are headed by

The Maui News MATTHEW THAYER photo

volunteer coaches like Okita and Yamashita.

At first, Okita and Yamashita intended to be “baseball dads.” Both men had plenty of coaching experience under their belts, but they just wanted to sit on the bleachers and cheer on their sons. However, as All Pono began to add more teams and players to its roster, they decided to pitch in.

“It just sort of happened,” Okita said. “I felt compelled to do it.”

In the years that followed, Okita and Yamashita coached their sons’ All Pono teams, alternating roles of head coach and assistant coach along the way.

“The plan was to coach our boys until they were freshmen in high

school,” Okita said. “And then that would be it for us.”

But things didn’t go according to plan.

“No,” Okita laughed. “It definitely didn’t go the way we planned.”

Today, when they’re not coaching their All Pono team during the Little League or Pony League seasons, Okita and Yamashita are coaching an all-star team or taking a travel team to play baseball on the Mainland. And that’s just half of it: The men also help out with the annual Kurt Suzuki All Pono Baseball Clinic and coach the Baldwin High School junior varsity and varsity teams, too. In addition, Okita serves as All Pono’s baseball ad-

ministrator, helps with Little League duties and was part of the effort to build the batting cage facility at Baldwin High School.

Last summer, Okita and Yamashita took two teams to the Little League Intermediate 50/70 World Series in Livermore, Calif., and the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The players on one of those teams, the Central East Maui Little League Intermediate All-Stars, were crowned the Little League Intermediate World Series Champs when they defeated a team from Seoul, South Korea.

Okita and Yamashita, who both have full-time day jobs, spend up to 20 hours a week during the season (which runs from November

C ongratulations C raig O kita, D eanY am ashita & C oachT revor T okishi ona W inning Y ear!

T hank you for all you do for the Y outhof M aui!

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S7

through August) coaching 50 players ages 13 to 18 on five separate teams — six, if there’s an all-star team to coach.

“I said ‘we’ve come this far and we still have a lot to teach,’ ’’ Okita said. “It’s not about getting paid . . . it’s about doing the right thing.”

“Synergistic” is the best word to describe Okita and Yamashita’s coaching style.

“Our goals are the same; we are always on the same page,” Okita said. “I don’t think I’d be doing this if it weren’t for Dean.”

Yamashita agrees. “We work well together,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be doing this if it weren’t for Craig.”

Okita and Yamashita aren’t just teaching their players how to hit a line drive or steal third base.

They’re also teaching them the values of hard work, integrity and respect — both on and off the field.

“It’s our job to teach them how to be good baseball players, but also guide them in the right direction outside of baseball,” Okita explained. “We hold them to high standards and we expect a lot from them. . . . We expect them to be pono.”

The greatest reward, Yamashita says, is making a positive impact through baseball.

“We get to share our love of the game and the camaraderie that comes from playing on a team,” he said. “When we’re out there working with the kids, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re making a difference.”

People Who Made A Difference — Past and Present Continued from Page S2

2012

Rotary Club of Lahaina Rick Cowan and the Maui Friends of the Library Maui Economic Development Board Archie Kalepa Andrea Maniago Fred Ruge

2008 John Cadman Val Vines Magee Maui Police Department juvenile investigators Tim Ellison, Ben Tolentino and Polli's Mexican Restaurant Kent Smith and Hilton Unemori Joe Pluta and West Maui Improvement Foundation Aloha House Crisis Mobile Outreach team David “Buddy” Nobriga

2011 Keith Regan and 2007 Lynn Araki-Regan Dr. Lee Miyasato, Steve Colflesh, Albert Paschoal Dr. Chris Neal and Dr. Ronald and Mike Kahale Boyd, Maui Memorial Medical Volunteers with the Center stroke specialists Lanai Native Species Ke‘eaumoku and U‘ilani Kapu Recovery Project Randy Awo, Hokulani Holt Brian Kohne Save Honolua Coalition Janna Hoehn Maui Long Term Care Dr. Melvin Burton Partnership Honokowai Kauhale residents 2006 Lillian Murakami 2010 Maui County firefighters Spencer Shiraishi, Kenji Jo-Ann Ridao Kawaguchi, Garner Ivey and Warren Shimabukuro Bob and Lis Richardson Jon and Maile Viela The Feline Foundation of Maui Joanne and Larry Laird Brian Yoshikawa Keola Eharis Rogat Dorvin and Betty Leis and Richard “Noosh” DeGray Vanderbilt Nishihara Phoenix Dupree and 16 other 2005 Lanai residents Dennis Ishii Maui Police Department 2009 Lahaina Patrol Lance Collins and Specialized Unit David Gierlach Maui Fire Department Lehua Park Cosma Kahekili Terrace Pualani Enos Resident Patrol Dr. William Kepler Byron Ooka Phyllis McOmber Brian Moto 2004 Darrell Tanaka and Brian Maui Police Department Yoshikawa Juvenile Section Kula Community Association

2004 (cont.)

Anna Palomino Police officer Joshua Haglan and Capt. Charles Hirata Clifford Nae‘ole Community Prosecutor Jerrie Sheppard and the Kalama Park Action Team Omaopio-Pulehu Neighbors Lisa Texeira Virginia Brown and the 411th Battalion Family Readiness Group 2003 Alex Baker Dale Bonar and Maui Coastal Land Trust Blossom Feiteira, Kehaulani Filimoe‘atu and Hawaii Community Assets Auriol and Ed Flavell Jane Kaleikini Nick Krau Sam Millington Lisa Schattenburg-Raymond and Maui Nui Botanical Gardens 2002 Jan Dapitan Pat and Richard Endsley Bernard “Lono” Kalawaia Kaina Matthew Lopez Maui County Charter Commission Barry Shannon and Kathy Collins Maui Outdoor Circle 2001 David Garner Vernon Gosney Christina Hemming Paul Kauhane Luuwai Art Medeiros Fred Rohlfing and Madge Schaefer Rick Rutiz South Maui Citizens Patrol

2000 Willie Nelson Frank Sinenci Turtle Patrol volunteers Maui Police Department Visitor Oriented Policing Unit Lynn Araki Chris Cowan and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center staff Boyd Kleefisch Judy and David Mikami 1999 Alliance for the Heritage of East Maui Dana Naone Hall and Isaac Hall Kalama Intermediate Student Council Ryan Luskin Ken Nakayama and the Molokai High School baseball team Roy Tokujo and ‘Ulalena Mercer “Chubby” Vicens 1998 Akaku: Maui Community Television staff and producers Kim Ball Cynthia Conrad Jerry Labb Amy Hanaiali‘i Gilliom and Willie K. David Goode Barbara Knoeppel Diane Lee Linda Lingle Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. 1997 Lt. Charles Hirata and DUI Task Force Leonard "Bully" Kapahulehua Brian McCafferty Randy Morton Wes Friewald Cathrine Puahala Barry Rivers

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Sunday, December 25, 2016 – Page S8

1996 Hannah Bernard Holy Ghost Bread Ladies Curt Hodge Buck Joiner Judges Boyd Mossman, E. John McConnnell and Shackley Raffetto Sandra Shawhan 1995 Aimee Anderson Alan Arakawa Mike Boughton Mary Evanson Greg Davis Yvonne Friel Keali‘i Reichel Ernie Rezents Susan Scofield 1994 Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli Dr. Bobby Baker Virgie Cantorna Shay Chan Walter Dodds Jr. Everett Dowling Kaui Doyle Ian and Marc Hodges Charles Jencks Anthony Ranken Dr. Rick Sands Joseph Sugarman Art Vento Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi