Coast Guard Foundation hosts 2019 Tribute to the Coast Guard in Hawaii
by Rus Graham 15 Aug 2019 04:51 NZST
22 August 2019
Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today it will host the 17th Annual Tribute to the Coast Guard's Fourteenth District at the historic Bishop Museum for the first time in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Coast Guard Foundation and the 75th Anniversary of Pacific Marine & Supply, the event is themed "Na Kia'i o ka Pakipika — Guardians of the Pacific" to honor those who enforce our nation's laws at sea, protect our marine environment, guard the nation's vast coastline and ports and perform vital life-saving missions.
This year, six Celebrity Chefs from Hawaii, two of which are James Beard Award-winning chefs, are generously donating their time and will create dishes using local products to share with guests from here and abroad. The local chefs include:
- Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant
- Andrew Le, The Pig & The Lady
- Kevin Lee, PAI Honolulu
- Mark Noguchi, Pili Group
- Alan Wong, Alan Wong's Restaurant
- Roy Yamaguchi, Roy's Hawaii
United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz will be the keynote speaker. RADM Robert Hayes, JIATF West Director and RADM Kevin Lunday, Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District will also be in attendance.
The Coast Guard Fourteenth District (D14) boasts the Coast Guard's largest area of responsibility. It covers more than 12.2 million square miles of land and sea, with units on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, and in American Samoa, Saipan, Guam, Singapore and Japan. Some examples of the Coast Guard Foundation's recent morale, wellness and recreation support in D14 include:
- $30,000 in support to Coast Guard members in Guam and Hawaii in December 2018 and January 2019 to help cover essential expenses during the Government shutdown;
- New surfboards, standup paddleboards and wakeboards for Coast Guard to use while enjoying the natural beauty of the Islands;
- Functional fitness equipment to help Coast Guard members stay physically fit for the challenges of their assigned duties;
- Bicycles and safety equipment for all terrains and exercise experience levels;
- Holiday events to help bring Coast Guard families close together and build community, when they are often too far from their homes to travel to be close with their own families;
- Establishment of a morale fund for the CGC Joseph Gerczak, a newly commissioned fast response cutter homeported in Hawaii;
- Fishing gear for Coast Guard members stationed cutters to use while on long-deployments;
- Back to school supplies and backpacks for children of Coast Guard members;
- Grants for summer camps to keep Coast Guard children engaged in productive activities during their school breaks, so Coast Guard members can stay focused on their mission work and responsibilities.
For 50 years, the Coast Guard Foundation has been committed to inspiring leadership, education and a proud legacy of service to our nation by supporting the men and women of the United States Coast Guard. The Foundation provides college scholarships to enlisted members, their spouses and their children, scholarships and support for families of Coast Guard members lost in the line of duty, and support for morale programs, including funding recreation, exercise and family-oriented facilities.
To learn more about the Coast Guard Foundation, or to help support its work, please visit coastguardfoundation.org.