Sen. Lorraine Inouye recipient of Zonta Club’s Rose Award of Excellence

Hawai‘i State Sen. Lorraine Inouye will receive the Rose Award of Excellence from the Zonta Club of Hilo at a dinner in her honor on March 11.

The event begins at 5 p.m. at Hilo Hawaiian’s Moku‘ola Ballroom with a no-host cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by dinner and the awards program.

“It’s difficult to list only a few things Sen. Inouye has accomplished that drew us to her for the Rose Award,” said Julie Tulang, Zonta Club of Hilo president. “For years, she has successfully fought for funding and programs that benefit Hilo and our island,” Tulang added.

Those interested in attending Zonta’s Rose Award of Excellence dinner may click here. Tickets are $125 per person, $50 of which is tax deductible. Reserved tables of eight are available for $1,250 mahogany sponsors and $1,500 gold sponsors (VIP seating).

The award dinner is also a fundraiser for the Zonta Club of Hilo and will help support scholarships for young women, programs on confidence building for middle school girls, women’s and girls’ advocacy, and Pay-it-Forward micro-grants to local women-owned businesses.

Checks can be sent to Zonta Club of Hilo Foundation, P.O. Box 1915, Hilo, HI 96721.

Inouye has been an elected official on Hawai‘i Island since the 1980s. Currently, she represents District 1, Hilo, serving as Senate Majority Whip and chairing the Water and Land Committee. She began her political career on the Hawai‘i County Council, and in 1990, she was elected Mayor of Hawai‘i County, the first Filipino-American woman to serve in the role.

The senator was born and raised on a plantation in Wainaku, worked in the hospitality industry before entering politics and continues to be involved in agriculture through the Aloha Blooms, Inc. farm she owns with her husband, Vern.

“We are particularly pleased to honor Sen. Inouye because her mother-in-law, Lily Inouye, was a vibrant member and leader of Zonta until her death in 2016,” Tulang said.

Zonta Club of Hilo is a member of Zonta International, whose mission is to build a better world for women and girls. For more information, visit www.zontahilo.org or email [email protected].