14 keiki receive ‘dream bedrooms’
The Target Dream Rooms Project on Nov. 4 unveiled rooms for 14 children from the 10 partner families whose homes were built during the 2017 Blitz Build. Target and local volunteers have been working to furnish and decorate the rooms since October.
The Target Dream Rooms was a side-project of the 2017 Blitz Build. The 14 children were asked to draw what their “dream bedroom” would look like in their new home, and with the help of a $20,000 Target grant, styling by local staging business Mahalo Hale, and donations from local groups, businesses, and individuals, Habitat for Humanity was able to make those dreams come true.
Margo Takata, family services coordinator with Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island and head of the project, was thrilled with the results.
“It’s all about that moment when they see their new room for the first time. It’s so beautiful. And Target and our volunteers did such a great job with setting up the rooms! It was a lot of hard work, and you know the kids are so grateful,” she said.
Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island completed 10 homes in 10 days in September, and is currently working on two homes in Waikoloa.
To find out how to donate and get involved, visit www.habitathawaiiisland.org.
Festival of Birds receives award
The Hawaii Island Festival of Birds (HIFB) was recently in Japan to participate in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival. During the closing ceremony of the Japan Bird Festival, the HIFB was given an award for its educational display.
A formal letter from the Japan Bird Festival committee praising HIFB’s exhibition was presented to Rae Okawa, HIFB committee member, by Takuji Okuno, the director general of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.
Held every year at Lake Teganuma in Abiko City, Japan, the Japan Bird Festival is one of the largest bird festivals in the country. This year, the Japan Bird Festival featured 180 booths and attracted more than 40,000 attendees.
The Hawaii Island Festival of Birds joined other international birding clubs and eco tour organizations from countries including Mongolia, Taiwan, Nepal, Israel, Borneo, and the Philippines. HIFB was in Japan to promote the 2018 Hawaii Island Festival of Birds event, scheduled for Sept. 14-17 in Kona. HIFB representatives distributed informational cards, save the date stickers, and Hawaii Island travel information. In addition to promoting HIFB, representatives also promoted Hawaii Island and Hawaii’s unique bird species.
Featured prominently at the HIFB tables were Hawaiian Honeycreeper sculptures by master carver Haruo Uchiyama. Uchiyama has many projects in Hawaii and is also the founder of the Japan Bird Festival. His work can be seen at the Hawaii Wildlife Center Hoopulama Science and Discovery Center in North Kohala.