Hawaiian Airlines Donates $25K to ‘Imi Hale

L-R
Kuata Ofoia – flight attendant and breast cancer survivor, Amanda Allison – ‘Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Center Network project specialist, JoAnn Tsark – ‘Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Center Network project director, Moana AhYuen Wheelon – flight attendant and breast cancer survivor,
Sharlene Chun-Lum – Papa Ola Lōkahi executive director. Hawaiian Airlines courtesy photo.

Hawaiian Airlines has donated $25,000 to ‘Imi Hale, the Native Hawaiian Cancer Center Network and a program of Papa Ola Lokahi.

The donation is part of the airlines’ “Time is Precious” breast cancer awareness campaign.

Last October, Hawaiian Airlines and Fossil co-branded a watch design that featured a pink ribbon. The watches were available for purchase aboard Hawaiian flights between Hawai’i and North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as on the Hawaiian online logo store, between Oct. 15 and Oct. 30.

Sales generated through the sale of the watches were donated to ‘Imi Hale.

“We are extremely proud to help raise awareness of a life-threatening disease that touches the lives of so many people in our community,” said Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, Director of Community Relations at Hawaiian, in October. “In doing so, we couldn’t think of better partners than Fossil, a champion of cancer awareness nationally, and ’Imi Hale, which has worked tirelessly to help our ‘ohana, the larger family of our island home.”

Over 200 people have been trained by the ‘Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Network to serve as “Cancer Patient Navigators.” The navigators assist patients with access to education, treatment, and support services.

“I lost my parents, grandmother, and aunt to cancer, and as a cancer survivor myself, I know how hard it is to get through the healthcare system,” Jacqueline Nalani Perreira, cancer survivor and cancer patient navigator said. “Every cancer patient should have someone to help them through the rough waters of cancer care and I am now privileged to be that helper, supporting patients and their families.”