Boys and Girls Club "Youth of the Year" Awards 2014

On Saturday March 8, the Locations Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of Prudential Locations, sponsored and participated in a great event, the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii Youth of the Year luncheon, at the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki.

A big mahalo to all the donors and Locations Foundation volunteers for making this event possible, and to everyone at the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH) who organized this fantastic event!

With the dedicated support of our community, sponsors and donors, we are able to shape, inspire and hear from our society's greatest resource—our keiki!

Congratulations to this year's three finalists!

Grace Peralta (Lihue Clubhouse) Essay of the Year	Luke Rita (Kapaa Clubhouse) Most Inspirational	Joy Gabriel (Hale Pono Clubhouse) 2014 Youth of the Year

Established in 1947, the Boys and Girls Club of America’s Youth of the Year program recognizes club members who, with the help of their club, have met personal challenges head-on and despite the odds, have given back to their club and community. The purpose of this event is to recognize members of the Boys and Girls Club on Oahu and Kauai who have demonstrated continued service to the club, their community and their families.

Other criteria used to determine the Youth of the Year are academic success, strong moral character, life goals as well as poise and public speaking ability.

There were 100 honored guests at the BGCH event that included Governor Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii Supreme Court nominee Michael Wilson, corporate sponsors, BCGH board members, clubhouse members, BGCH staff, and the nine candidates and their families. The keynote speaker, Alex O'Loughlin, leading actor of TV show Hawaii Five-O, gave a video-recorded message encouraging the candidates and exalting the supporters of this great organization.

Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii Youth of the Year candidates.

All of the speeches were very inspiring and the event was extremely successful. Presentations included BGCH President and CEO Tim Motts, Governor Abercrombie, and Judge Mike Wilson, and the touching and powerful speeches of the top three candidates.  

The luncheon, provided by the Hawaii Prince Hotel, was delicious and the Locations Foundation representatives who joined me at this event enjoyed meeting and getting to know the BGCH staff and Youth of the Year candidates on a more intimate level. I’m honored to serve as a corporate board director of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii and as a trustee of the Locations Foundation. It's always a truly rewarding and touching experience to be a part of this event! 

Locations Foundation volunteers with an award candidate at the Boys and Girls of Hawaii Youth of the Year luncheon.
Back row pictured left to right: Marie Valenzuela, Zona Jones, Youth of the Year candidate with certificate, Mary Edu, Donna Yamagishi, Denise Fisher
Front row pictured left to right: Noele Kanemoto, April Luga

Honestly, I couldn’t keep my eyes dry during the speeches from the top three candidates and I’m deeply grateful for having the opportunity to volunteer my time and efforts for such a worthy cause. 

Taking time to recognize and give financial support to the organizations who help our community and the kids who need us the most is priceless!