Voting begins for art car contest
Voting begins Monday and ends Feb. 28 for Toyota Hawaii’s 2016 Dream Car Art Contest People’s Choice Competition. Hundreds of student artists 15 years old and under created original, hand-drawn illustrations of their dream car last month. All eligible entries were entered into the People’s Choice Competition where family, friends, and fans of the Toyota Hawaii Facebook page will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entries. The artwork with the most votes in each age category will receive a prize and be entered for final judging in the local competition.
Imiloa offers astronomy talk
How do data from 10 telescopes, set across the United States, merge to make the most detailed images of astronomical objects ever attained? Geoffrey Bower of the Very Long Baseline Array will offer a look at how scientists use this network of instruments to understand black holes, the structure of our galaxy, and the nature of stars, at Imiloa Astronomy Center’s next Maunakea Skies program at 7 p.m. Friday.
Imiloa’s monthly Maunakea Skies planetarium presentations are held on the third Friday of each month. Cost ranges from $6 to $8 depending on the attendee’s level of membership. Nonmembers pay $10.
Tickets: 932-8901.
Opportunity to support Boys and Girls Clubs
Ross Stores Inc. is partnering with Boys and Girls Clubs of America with a program called Help Local Kids Learn. Store customers may make a monetary contribution at checkout to Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island through Feb, 27.
All proceeds will benefit Boys &Girls Clubs with 80 percent going to Big Island clubs and 20 percent supporting Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Hawaii Island school makes state VEX IQ Robotics Championship
HTA, a public charter school on Hawaii Island, sent seven students along with their teacher, Carmen Calderon, to the VEX IQ State Robotics Championships on Oahu on Saturday. This was the students first entry in the competition, and they qualified to compete in the state competition and also won the Judge’s Award.
VEX IQ Robotics is open to all students in Elementary and Middle School. It allows students an opportunity to experiment with designing, engineering, coding, and developing not only leadership skills, but also communication and interpersonal skills.
To start a team, contact Art Kimura art@higp.hawaii.edu.
Hawaii organ donors saving lives
Last year, 146 organ and tissue donors in Hawaii saved 107 lives and restored the lives of hundreds more in need of corneas, bone grafts, skin grafts, ligaments and heart valves. Nearly 58 percent of the state’s population over the age of 18, more than 640,000 residents, are registered as organ and tissue donors. Also in 2015, organ donation reached record levels nationally.
The United Network for Organ Sharing, the organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system, reports the number of organ transplants performed in 2015 exceeded 30,000 for the first time in the United States.
During the first month of January, eight Hawaii organ donors saved 21 lives. Seventy five percent of those donors were registered.
Hawaiian language scholarships offered
The University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language is accepting applications for scholarships.
On Jan. 19, Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College of Hawaiian Language thanked and recognized each of the generous donors for making it possible to increase the numbers and proficiency of Hawaiian speakers, cultural practitioners, and teachers through scholarship.
The Daniel and Lydia Makuakane Endowed Scholarship was established in the fall 2015 by their family to honor the contributions of their parents to the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian language and cultural practices.
The UH Hilo Haunani Bernardino Endowed Scholarship for Excellence is named after the late educator, musician and songwriter Theresa Marie Haunani Bernardino.
The Lawrence Silva Memorial Endowed Excellence Scholarship was created to provide support in perpetuity to Hawaiian studies students and to ensure the development of future generations of Hawaiian speakers.
Kai Noa Swimwear owner and designer Noelle Bali has created a line of swimwear to educate people about native cultures throughout the world. The Kai Noa Scholarship Fund supports those dedicated to researching and revitalizing all areas and forms of Hawaiian knowledge.
The application deadline for all four scholarships is April 29. The recipients will be selected in May. Application and info: www.olelo.hawaii.edu/haawinakala, 932-7360.
To make a donation toward scholarships: Mariko Miho, 932-7692.