Ace Hardware bills itself as the place with the helpful hardware folks. To Kapiolani Medical Center for Women &Children in Honolulu, the Hilo Ace store is much more than that.
The Hilo store ranked fourth among Ace outlets nationally, raising $5,259 for the Ace Cares for Kids campaign for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
In addition, the Ace Foundation kicked in a $5,000 Top-5 bonus to the five stores that raised the most money during the July drive. That bonus brought the official total for Kapiolani to $10,259.
“Ace believes in giving back to the community and especially for a cause like the children,” Kelvin Nishiura, the Hilo Ace store manager, said.
The funds will be donated to support the lifesaving care that Kapiolani provides every day to keiki and families from across the state and throughout the Pacific Rim.
“In the past year, Kapiolani Medical Center has provided over 2,200 Big Island families with critical care uniquely available at Hawaii’s only Children’s Miracle Network hospital,” said Stacey Acma, director of Kapiolani’s Children’s Miracle Network. “Without these specialized services many families would be forced to travel to the mainland or possibly face an uncertain future. Partnership efforts like the one with Ace Hardware Hilo and the support of the community provides Kapiolani the tools to give every family the care they deserve.”
This is the first time a Hawaii-based Ace Hardware cracked the national top five.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.