East Hawaii Cultural Council, Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture, Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Kano o ka Aina Ohana and Volcano Art Center are the five recipients of this year’s Bank of Hawaii Foundation Monty Richards Hawaii Island Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes outstanding leadership of nonprofits providing benefits for residents of Hawaii County, with the awards this year focused on arts, culture and education programs. Volcano Art Center received $10,000; the other four recipients each received $5,000. The announcement was made during a Nov. 1 presentation and panel discussion of creative placemaking at Kahua Ranch.
East Hawaii Cultural Council provides a vibrant gathering place to inspire ongoing arts and cultural expression through exhibitions, performances and workshops. EHCC will use its grant to create a Hawaiian culture and arts program for low- to moderate-income Hawaii County youth and their families.
Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture is based at the Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa where it provides a variety of art and cultural education classes and workshops for the community’s youth and their families. HFAC will use its grant to expand its art education outreach to children from low- and moderate-income families through additional classes at Holualoa and Kahakai Elementary Schools.
Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra Society is dedicated to bringing live, high-quality orchestral music to Hawaii Island audiences, and nurturing a love and understanding in young people through its children’s concerts, school visits and other outreach efforts. The society will use its grant to expand its music education activities to engage currently underserved youth of Hawaii Island.
Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana is located on Hawaiian Home Lands in Waimea where it provides multiple educational programs based on Hawaiian culture and values. KALO will use its grant to support its Kauhale Complementary Learning Program activities serving students from Kano o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School as well as children from the surrounding Waimea community.
Volcano Art Center is an arts and environmental education nonprofit that offers programs that perpetuate Hawaiian traditions and culture for the local community and visitors, while bringing arts and nature programs to underserved areas and people. VAC will use its grant to produce promotional and information materials to enhance their educational programs serving local children and their families.
Kahilu Theatre Foundation has been offering performances from a world-class Broadway stage. The organization will use the grant to support its youth shows for students of North and South Kohala, North Kona and Hamakua Districts of the Big Island.
This is the ninth annual Bank of Hawaii Foundation Monty Richards Hawaii Island Community Award presentation, which has distributed $205,000 to 25 nonprofit recipients since its inception in 2008. It was established in honor of Herbert “Monty” Montague Richards Jr., a North Kohala rancher, dedicated Hawaii Island community leader and former longtime board director for Bank of Hawaii.