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New award to honor inspirational kupuna

By Leland Kim - bio | email

DOWNTOWN HONOLULU (KHNL) -   A new award honors Oahu's kupuna who are young at heart.  The "Honolulu Forever Young" award recognizes those over 65 years old who are making a positive impact in their community.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann, accompanied by corporate sponsors, made the announcement Tuesday morning.  Nominees will be judged on accomplishments in categories such as career, community service, mentorship.

"Most people that are active and engaged don't even think about their age, and there's so many people out there for us to be highlighting," said Debbie Kim Morikawa, director of Honolulu's Department of Community Services.

"We're very excited about it, and our board will be watching it closely," added Joan White, a spokesperson with the Oahu Workforce Investment Board.  "And we plan to be working closely with employers to find new concepts."

Sponsors say they wholeheartedly support the award.

"I want to strongly encourage people to nominate the many energetic, involved seniors that you know who continue to contribute to our community by mentoring, volunteering, and sharing their knowledge with our younger generation," said John Henry Felix, a spokesperson with HMAA, a title sponsor of the award.  "Remember you're only as old as you think you are and you feel.  And I'm 78 and I feel great."

Nominations will be accepted until August 1.  Six winners will be honored at a luncheon on October 7th.  To find out how to nominate a senior citizen, click here or follow the link on this page.

The Honolulu Forever Young award is sponsored by the following organizations:  Title sponsors are AIG Hawaii and HMAA.  Other sponsors include Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA), The Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu 100, and KHNL/K-Five.