A Puna woman is among five finalists in the Hyundai Hometown Heroes contest and, if voted, could win a brand-new Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck.
Suzi Bond is executive director of Kilauea Drama and Entertainment Network, a nonprofit community theater company known by its acronym KDEN, as well as a disaster response volunteer with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, or VOAD, which works with county Civil Defense, the Red Cross and other organizations.
Bond was nominated for the statewide award by Joel Kelley, who is active with KDEN. He described Bond as “one of the givers that keep our community running.”
“Whether working with Civil Defense during the 2018 lava event, or giving of her time and talent to teach theater to students in local charter schools, she unwaveringly devotes her time to making our island community a better one, and bringing quality community theater to live in Volcano,” Kelley wrote of Bond. “Her devotion to these pursuits leaves her living on very modest means, driving a 20-plus-year-old minivan that is barely roadworthy, living in a small and very modest home in (Hawaiian Paradise Park) and staying humble in her efforts to live and contribute to our island’s lively arts and culture scene, as well as her dedicated work with Civil Defense.”
Asked how she felt to be a finalist, Bond replied “I’m literally gobsmacked.” She added she thought it might be a joke when she received a call informing her of her nomination for the award.
“The lady told me, ‘You’ve got 11 nominations. Nobody else has got 11 nominations. And they picked Joel’s letter out from the nominations. I’m not sure who all else did it,” Bond said. “I called the woman back and said, ‘This isn’t a joke, is it?’”
This isn’t the first time the 67-year-old Bond has been recognized for her community contributions. In 2015, she received a national President’s Volunteer Service Award – Silver for her work after Tropical Storm Iselle flattened much of Puna and parts of Ka‘u in August 2014. She was nominated by Michael Kern, Federal Emergency Management Agency volunteer agency liaison, for the award — which came with a letter signed by then-President Barack Obama. The bottom of the award designates Bond as a “Point of Light.”
“I’m not about the recognition,” Bond said. “I don’t do compliments well. It’s never been about about me or my need. It’s always been about the company, or in the case of Civil Defense, the people. So in some ways, this is very uncomfortable for me.”
Bond said she’s never owned a new vehicle.
“I have a 1997 Dodge van that was donated to KDEN,” she said. “It has no seats in it, because the people who donated it to us, their dogs ate the seats. It’s been great because it hauls just about everything.”
The van, however, has no working gauges on its instrument panel.
“I don’t know how fast I’m going or how much gas I’ve got or whether the car is going to overheat,” she said.
Bond said she’s “honored and humbled” and appreciates Kelley and others who nominated her for the award.
To vote for Bond or any of the nominees, go to Hawaii News Now’s web page through Sept. 25, at https://bit.ly/3RMTH1g.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.