WAIMEA — In a recent quarterly meeting, the North Hawaii chapter of the National 100 Women Who Care Alliance selected Waimea Trails and Greenways to receive a $100 donation from each of its members.
At the one-hour meeting, members learned about local nonprofit organizations doing good work for North Hawaii. Member Whitney Harvey spoke on behalf of Waimea Trails and Greenways. She told the 35 to 40 current members that the Ke Kahawai O Waimea (The Streamside Trail of Waimea) is near and dear to her as she uses the trail regularly to walk her dogs, run and walk with friends.
“As I use the trail at different times of the day, I begin to recognize patterns: kids, adults, dog walkers and those out to decompress,” Harvey said. “There are kids walking to school individually or as part of the supervised Walking School Bus. This keeps kids safe and off the side of the road.”
In preparing the presentation, Waimea Trails and Greenways committee member Leningrad Elarionoff told Harvey about the cultural significance of the streamside trail which has been in use since ancient times. Committee chair Clem Lam stressed the social and environmental value of the trail. Emphasizing that Ke Kahawai O Waimea contributes much needed public green space in Waimea, Harvey convinced her fellow members to support Waimea Trails and Greenways with their collective donations.
Delighted with this unanticipated donation, Lam said the money will be a welcome boost toward the purchase of tools, a land survey needed for trail expansion and possibly fencing the next section of trail. The trail is currently maintained entirely by volunteers who work for free or occasionally a group lunch.
Recognizing the power of people working together to build strong communities, the 100 Who Care Alliance is an international organization with local chapters devoted to supporting area nonprofits. Keeping the organization structure simple and effective, each chapter meets four times a year to choose community based non-profit organizations to support with a donation from each member.
Harvey pointed out, “In North Hawaii we do not have 100 women yet — that is our goal. With more people, we can support more grassroots organizations serving our area.”
Info: To learn more about 100 Women Who Care or to join, contact Whitney Harvey at 854-7988 or whitney@macarthurhawaii.com