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Saturday Briefing Page 1 June 2, 2007 Guests Share eir Aloha By Ethan Chang Memorial Day weekend was extra special this year, as guests from the Outrigger Waikiki and the Outrigger Reef participated in making lei to be draped around flags at veteran cemeteries across the state for Memorial Day remembrances. Last week, the City and County put out a call requesting Memorial Day volunteers. Over 50,000 lei were needed for the remembrances, and there was a shortage of flowers and manpower. When the call came in, I thought to myself, “Here at the Outrigger Waikiki, we teach our guests how to make a lei every Friday. Wouldn’t it be great if our guests wanted to donate the lei they made for this great cause?” I wondered, if guests and ‘ohana from the Outrigger Reef would like to help. e idea was well received. What started out as a few donated lei, grew to a huge overflowing box of lei—all made and donated by our guests. It was incredible! Not only did guests make one lei for themselves and one lei for the memorial, most of them ended up making two, four, and even ten lei for this great cause. Some even refused to make a lei for themselves. In all, over 60 guests participated and well over 200 lei were donated. Continued on page 3 e 12th Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange By Una Murray e 12th Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (BFTE), Fiji’s premier annual tourism business event, was held at the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club on Denarau Island, Nadi, Fiji, from May 15-19. is annual event provides an opportunity for Fiji’s tourism industry and its Pacific Island neighbors to showcase their products to buyers from around the world. e event had over 400 attendees, with buyers coming from all over the world, including New Zealand, Australia, North America, and Europe. Continued on page 12 Patti Maldonado Continued on page 11 Kamaile Maldonado An Inspiring Journey Almost eight years ago to the day, Outrigger & OHANA Hotels & Resorts and the world lost a most wonderful person when Patti Maldonado passed away. Patti started working in the Reservations department right out of high school and was with us almost three decades before she lost a long battle with cancer. e story of Patti’s life can be found in the June 5, 1999, edition of Saturday Briefing.* Although Patti is gone, she is still with us in countless memories and through her daughter Kamaile, who just graduated from Pepperdine University and will attend University of California Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law this fall. Recently, I received a letter from Kamaile thanking others and me for the financial assistance that made possible her travel to the Dominican Republic this past spring break to work with the needy. e letter describes her experiences there. It is such a wonderful story, and it reminds me so much of the spirit of her mother, that I want to share it with our readers. Kamaile has agreed and has provided some heartwarming photos as well. Project Serve By Kamaile Maldonado Recently, I went on a spring break service trip as part of a program called “Project Serve” that Pepperdine’s Volunteer Center organizes for students every year as an alternative to other spring break options. e project sends about 20 teams of about 15- 20 people each to different locations all over the nation and abroad. e teams spend the week of spring break serving the communities they visit in various ways.

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Page 1: Guests Share Their Aloha Kamaile Maldonado By …saturdaybriefing.outrigger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/...Saturday Briefing Page 1 June 2, 2007 Guests Share Their Aloha By Ethan Chang

Saturday BriefingPage 1

June 2, 2007

Guests Share Their Aloha By Ethan Chang

Memorial Day weekend was extra special this year, as guests from the Outrigger Waikiki and the Outrigger Reef participated in making lei to be draped around flags at veteran cemeteries across the state for Memorial Day remembrances. Last week, the City and County put out a call requesting Memorial Day

volunteers. Over 50,000 lei were needed for the remembrances, and there was a shortage of flowers and manpower. When the call came in, I thought to myself, “Here at the Outrigger Waikiki, we teach our guests how to make a lei every Friday. Wouldn’t it be great if our guests wanted to donate the lei they made for this great cause?” I wondered, if guests and ‘ohana from the Outrigger Reef would like to help. The idea was well received. What started out as a few donated lei, grew to a huge overflowing box of lei—all made and donated by our guests. It was incredible! Not only did guests make one lei for themselves and one lei for the memorial, most of them ended up making two, four, and even ten lei for this great cause. Some even refused to make a lei for themselves. In all, over 60 guests participated and well over 200 lei were donated.

Continued on page 3

The 12th Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange

By Una Murray

The 12th Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (BFTE), Fiji’s premier annual tourism business event, was held at the Denarau Golf & Racquet Club on Denarau Island, Nadi, Fiji, from May 15-19. This annual event provides an opportunity for Fiji’s tourism industry and its Pacific Island neighbors to showcase their products to buyers from around the world. The event had over 400 attendees, with buyers coming from all over the world, including New Zealand, Australia, North America, and Europe.

Continued on page 12

Patti Maldonado

Continued on page 11

Kamaile MaldonadoAn Inspiring Journey

Almost eight years ago to the day, Outrigger & OHANA Hotels & Resorts and the world lost a most wonderful person when Patti Maldonado passed away. Patti started working in the Reservations department right out of high school and was with us almost three decades before she lost a long battle with cancer. The story of Patti’s life can be found in the June 5, 1999, edition of Saturday Briefing.* Although Patti is gone, she is still with us in countless memories and through her daughter Kamaile, who just graduated from Pepperdine University and will attend University of California Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law this fall. Recently, I received a letter from Kamaile thanking others and me for the financial assistance that made possible her travel to the Dominican Republic this past spring break to work with the needy. The letter describes her experiences there. It is such a wonderful story, and it reminds me so much of the spirit of her mother, that I want to share it with our readers. Kamaile has agreed and has provided some heartwarming photos as well.

Project ServeBy Kamaile Maldonado

Recently, I went on a spring break service trip as part of a program called “Project Serve” that Pepperdine’s Volunteer Center organizes for students every year as an alternative to other spring break options. The project sends about 20 teams of about 15-20 people each to different locations all over the nation and abroad. The teams spend the week of spring break serving the communities they visit in various ways.

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Saturday BriefingPage 2

Lifesaver ClubBy Dr. Chuck Kelley and Marie Miyahira

Was your last donation eight weeks ago? If you donated on or before May 2, you are eligible to donate at our upcoming drive. If you have never donated before, first-time donors are always welcome to join Outrigger’s Lifesaver Club. Compassion and time is all it takes to help collect the 200 pints of blood needed every day to maintain an adequate supply for our patients here in Hawaii. It’s Safe. It’s Simple. It Saves Lives.

Saturday Briefing is published by and for employees of

Outrigger Enterprises Group.

Editor-In-Chief: Richard Kelley Senior Editor: Marie Casciato Assistant Editor: Lehua Kala`i Contributing Writers: Employees of

Outrigger Enterprises Group

Visit us online at:www.outrigger.com/sb

www.ohanahotels.com/sb

Submit suggestions, comments, and news tidbits to Marie Casciato at

[email protected] or via interoffice mail to OEH/Executive Office,

or contact her at (808) 921-6601.

© 2007 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii An Equal Opportunity Employer

Employment Opportunities If you are interested in the positions listed below and meet the qualifications, please submit an in-house application obtained from your Supervisor or Human Resources. If you have any questions, please call Eric Ishikawa at (808) 921-6989. Application deadline for the following positions is June 8, 2007.

Sales Coordinator(Full-Time)

A minimum of three years hospitality sales experience required. Must have strong computer skills, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Mauna Loa Village by the SeaHousekeeper

(Full-Time, Part-Time & On-Call)Must be flexible to work any shift and day. Experience in cleaning and servicing guest rooms and/or public areas preferred. Interested applicants may fax their in-house application to (808) 322-5165.

Outrigger Maui Eldorado Housekeeping Utility

(Part-Time)Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs and operate heavy machinery. A valid driver’s license is required. Must also be flexible to work any shift and day. Interested applicants may fax their in-house application to (808) 667-7039.

Hawaiian Quilt Exhibit at the Outrigger Reef

By Luana Maitland

Join Master Quilt Designer John Serrao and his daughter and quilter Cissy Serrao of Quilters of Poakalani for a Free Hawaiian Quilt Exhibit at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach June 8 – 11, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. each day, at the Diamond Head Terrace Meeting Room. On display will be more than 30 hand-made Hawaiian quilts. It is said that quilting was brought to Hawaii in

1820, when the first missionary ship arrived at Kailua-Kona. It was then that thread, needles, and scissors were first introduced. The royal wives of two reigning chiefs were invited aboard the brig Thaddeous and taught the art of patchwork-style sewing. This event was recorded to be the first quilting circle in Hawaii. It was in quilting circles that Hawaiian women were able to watch, learn, and listen and then adapt quilting to their own unique-style that gave meaning and life to what is known today as Hawaiian quilting. Under the guidance of John Serrao, the quilters of Poakalani have been taught to quilt in the traditional “Hawaiian” style, as well as to encompass new ideas into their very own unique quilts. Traditional Hawaiian quilts are distinguishable by being created on the one-eighth, using a one-piece design with stitching by hand. Event attendees will receive a complimentary quilt pattern designed especially by Master Quilt Designer John Serrao. The Outrigger Reef ‘ohana looks forward to welcoming you to this free cultural event.

BLOODDRIVE

Wednesday, June 278 a.m. to 2 p.m.

OHANA East Lobby Conference Room

To make an appointment, please contact Marie Miyahira via email at [email protected] or call her at 921-6881. For more information on donating blood, visit www.bbh.org or call the Blood Bank of Hawaii at 845-9966. Your support is greatly appreciated!

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Saturday BriefingPage 3

Happy Birthday!

Guests Share Their AlohaContinued from page 1

Everyone had a great time, and it was good to see our guests so enthusiastic about making lei for our fallen veterans. Guests invited their families, encouraged other guests to participate, and even helped teach others after getting the hang of the technique. Many had started making lei for themselves, but ended up making lei for this great cause. It goes to show that the values of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a our employees exude are definitely felt, shared, and multiplied by our guests. Special thanks to Robert Uchida, Carol Ogasawara, Kelvin Sato, Lorna Benigno, Eric Matsumoto, Catherine Strazzeri, Luana Maitland, Lori Naone, and Herman Lam, and to volunteers from the Waikiki Community Center and all of the Outrigger Waikiki and Outrigger Reef guests. Who knows, this could be the start of a new Outrigger tradition!

June 18: Gwendolyn E. Boyce, Norine J. T. Diorec, Gloria A. Estabaya, Noemi Y. Gungab, and Madeline M. Suan.

June 19: Frederick L. Ford, Yue Yan C. Lau, Bennett M. K. Leung, Jocelyn Balubar, Tiffani N. L. Saunders, Yuan Mei-Lei Cheng, Roberto A. Henriquez, and William K. Kaauwai II.

June 20: William G. Harris, Scott C. Rolles, Irene W. Masterson, Kelekona Maielua, Stacy A. Keen, Nena Tran, Emilyea Edward, Kelvin M. Sato, and Edilberto L. Presiados.

Matt Sproat, Frank Poei and Tiare Franco (back) with the Carriere family—Conrad Jr., Dawn, Dorian, and Conrad Sr. from New Orleans who made lei for memorial services

Catherine Strazzeri helps guests with their lei It was standing-room only, as guests made lei for veterans

June 21: Lilia F. Arca, Florante N. Ravago, Demelle F. Dominguez, and Yvonne P. Alokoa. June 22: Dobora Neptali and Henry V. Sagucio.

June 23: Laura K. Ring, Matilda Santana, and Joel M. Pananganan.

June 24: In Jun Kim, Anny S. Salvacion, Roslyn J. Kaaa, Renato H. Yanit, Yolanda M. Erorita, Robert H. Yeoman, Debra R. Silva, Donna M. Louis, and Dennise J. Alviento.

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Saturday BriefingPage 4

Continued on page 5

And The Walk Goes On!More Photographs from the May 19 Visitor Industry Charity Walk

Danette Bolosan and Robert “Popo” KanoaJosefina Rivera, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and Purie Garcia

Mitchell Evans, Rich Evans, Vicki Valenciano, Bevin Parker-Evans, Rosana Matlock, Dale Verkaaik, Fran Basuel, Leona Sa McDermott, Patrick Thesken, Marianne Thesken, James Thesken, Sherry Oyamot, Ellen O’Connell, and Dale Stetson – Kaua‘i

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Saturday BriefingPage 5

And The Walk Goes On!Continued from page 4

Continued on page 6

Gregg Enright and Jeanning Aldrete

Val Tanaka, Ofelia Valdez, Leonarda Dait, and Elizabeth Agustin

Angela Brown and Mandy Cruz Marie Miyahira and Robert McConnell

Lei Qiu Naito, Alan Naito, and Katherine Tsuhako

The Liangs - Yuet Chun, son Henry, and Ji QiaoJudy Lam, JoAnn Okawa, Shawn Shimabukuro, and Nancy Figueroa

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Saturday BriefingPage 6

And The Walk Goes On!Continued from page 5

Continued on page 7

Charlene Luning and Chung Suk Sakamoto

Ryan Rodrigues and Kea Parker

Saturnina Agonoy and Fina Salvador

Benjamin Ranada, Myra Kuboyama, Herminia Agbayani, Mercy Valdez, Sonia Damaso, and Irenio Dumaslan

Dr. Chuck Kelley, Patti Blezard, Sherilyn Farris, and John and Jenny Dooling

Cristy Mamuad, her son Chris, and his friend Dee

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Saturday BriefingPage 7

And The Walk Goes On!Continued from page 6

Continued on page 8

Ronald McDonald and Val Tanaka, Sharon Okada, Myra Kuboyama, Ellie Agustin, Ellen Isidro, Leonarda Dait, and Ofelia Valdez

Debbie Murakami and son ParkerZenaida Cachola, Jenny Hong and nephew Jason, Un Ha Zheng, and Siu Hing Lee

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Saturday BriefingPage 8

And The Walk Goes On!Continued from page 7

Continued on page 9

Lori Ortiz and Sharon Okada Lori Ishiyama and Rex Freitas

Lilly Chinn and Carol Kahili

Conchita Malaqui, Lisa Kwok, and David Asakura Elena Shiroma, Monica Kauhane and son Ka‘ea

Renee Takai (center) with daughter Ashley (left) and Ashley’s friend Lyndsey (right)

Shannon Nolder and Marion Beverly Bruce Musrasrik and son Bryan

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Saturday BriefingPage 9

And The Walk Goes On!Continued from page 8

Carol Kahili and Jo-Ann Yonamine

Kathy Foley, Pat Moore, Robert McConnell, Jo-Ann Yonamine, and Lehua Kala‘i Adam Dumadag and Heather Doeringer

Kathy Hansberry and daughter Kaycee

Sue Chang and daughter Janelle Mila Javier, Betty Cabasag, and Doreen Corpuz

Dusty Flores and Sheldon Williams

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Saturday BriefingPage 10

Recently the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber (OBC) was honored to welcome the return of the Waiakea Middle School Ukulele Club from Hilo, Hawaii! Under the direction of long-time kumu George Camarillo, these young people showcased their talents in ukulele, song, and hula to the thrilled patrons of the Hibiscus Café. Their music took us through the ages with “Has Anybody Seen My Gal,” “It’s a Small World,” “Hawaii 5-O,” “Wipeout,” “Moloka‘i Slide,” Hawaiian Superman,” and more. For their finale, they wowed the audience, as their quick fingers picked through “Under the Double Eagle March,” which they played with their ukuleles behind their heads! These talented boys and girls have taken their music to the mainland and performed at Disneyland. Plans for an exciting trip to Japan next year are in the works. As they wrapped-up their performance, they graciously posed for a group photo and then with care, they wiped down and packed their ukulele before heading off for a fun-filled day at the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. It was another proud moment on an Aloha Pō‘alima (Friday) at the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel.

Waiakea Ukulele Club Returns to the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber!

By Napua Ho

The Waiakea Middle School Ukulele Club

The Waiakea Middle School Ukulele Club played with their ukuleles behind their heads!

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Saturday BriefingPage 11

Wayne Robinson and Managing Director of Rosie Holidays Tony Whitton (far left) are joined by Rosie Holiday wholesalers

Luana Kekaula-Castillo of Business & Leisure Holidays, Andrew Gee, and Wayne Robinson

Wayne Robinson, Andrew Gee, Commander Frank Bainimarama, the Interim Prime Minister of Fiji, Moses Saukalou, and the Honorable Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau, Interim Minister for Tourism

At the Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji’s (FOR) booth, Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Gee and Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing Wayne Robinson had the opportunity to meet with many buyers, including Luana Kekaula-Castillo of Business Leisure & Holidays from Honolulu, Hawaii. Our team was pleasantly surprised when Commander Frank Bainimarama, the Interim Prime Minister of Fiji, and the Honorable Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau, Interim Minister for Tourism, stopped by our booth. Several key wholesalers from Rosie Holidays in Europe and North America took the opportunity to spend some time at the FOR. Andrew Gee hosted a dinner for them, and Wayne Robinson hosted a breakfast. This prestigious event has been held twice in the past at the Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji. In 2001, Dr. Chuck Kelley was on hand to officially open the event, and Fiji’s former Minister of Tourism Konusi Yabaki was a special guest at the closing ceremony. This yearly event is growing increasingly popular, as it allows agents to get a comprehensive overview of all that Fiji has to offer.

The 12th Bula Fiji Tourism ExchangeContinued from page 1

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Saturday BriefingPage 12

Kamaile Maldonado - Project ServeContinued from page 1

Kamaile Maldonado (center) and her team members teach basic English to children in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

Kamaile Maldonado said the Dominican children taught her lessons about trust, faith, joy, and love that she couldn’t have learned otherwise and will never forget

Some teams work through homeless shelters to feed and clothe those in poverty, others help teachers and children in inner city schools. Some teams build houses and other useful buildings for remote villages in developing countries, and one team even served as temporary nurses and physician’s aides, administering vaccinations and medical care in a developing country! My boyfriend’s team (the team I worked with last spring) went to New Orleans to continue helping in the desperately needed relief efforts, gutting ruined houses and distributing food and clothing at a relief center. This year, I went to the Dominican Republic, and our team worked through an organization called Orphanage Outreach. I stayed at an orphanage in Monte Cristi, which is a poor village on the coast close to the border with Haiti. I was humbled and surprised by how modestly the people lived: mostly in one-room, makeshift shacks. Dogs, goats, and children had the run of the unpaved streets of this town, and clean water was locked in cages to protect this valuable resource. The conservation of water was tough for us Americans to adjust to at first but you get used to taking “military showers” and reminding each other, “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.” The septic system there cannot handle toilet paper and the electricity blacks out 3-4 times a day on average because there is simply not enough capacity. I’m surprised the heat didn’t kill us, reaching 95 degrees some days with 100% humidity. And, when we survived that, I’m truly surprised that our “germophobic” group didn’t cry about the eternal dirt and dust everywhere and the monumentally sized tropical bugs and mosquitoes, which forced us to sleep under nets to escape. We worked primarily in two schools near the orphanage and gave the children a jump start on primary English skills including greetings, colors, numbers, family members, simple

activities, and body parts. Since English is the key to the future for these children but the country is so poor that they cannot even afford to bring people who know how to speak English to come help, we really were opening doors for the kids even though we only had time to teach them a few phrases. I am still surprised at how quickly I fell in love with the people and the children there. I felt like a celebrity when everywhere I went crowds followed. That was unexpected, but the people there do not have any form of mass media and are unaware of the controversies surrounding America all over the world. All they saw were volunteers coming to help their children. The children gave me so much more than I could ever have given them. Without toys or even shoes, they were so full of joy and love completely pure and free of judgment. They were also so free from the burdens of worry and discontent, completely joyful despite the utter poverty and simplicity of their lives. The Dominican children taught me lessons about trust, faith, joy, and love that I couldn’t have learned otherwise and will never forget. I have been truly humbled by this trip, and my life will never be the same again. As a result of this trip, I have decided to consider not only a career in public service law but also to take that a step further and fight for justice internationally. This life-altering experience has shifted my path in new and exciting directions, and it’s all thanks to your generous help. I wish I could have brought you and all of my sponsors with me to meet these amazing children. Thank you eternally for helping to make it possible for me to meet them! They’ve changed my life and so have you.

* The article on Patti Maldonado is available online at http://outrigger.com/aboutus_saturday_briefing_articles.aspx?article=167&section=19