Donations in Xerox
killings top $119,000

By June Watanabe
Star-Bulletin

More than $46,000 has been contributed to help the families of seven Xerox Corp. employees killed by a co-worker, while nearly $73,000 has been collected in a separate fund to help all victims of violent crime.

At last count, $46,012.25 had been sent to the Xerox Hawaii Victims Fund, said spokeswoman Lisa Ontai.

Checks will be equally disbursed this holiday season to the families of Jason C. Balatico, Ford K. Kanehira, Ron Kataoka, Ronald K. Kawamae, Melvin W.T. Lee, Peter Mark and John Sakamoto, who were shot to death Nov. 2.

Byran Uesugi is charged in the killings.

Donations are still coming in, Ontai said. Checks may be sent to Xerox Hawaii Victims Fund, c/o Bank of Hawaii, 111 S. King St., Honolulu 96813; or see any branch. Donations are not tax-deductible.

In addition, the Fund for Victims of Violent Crime in Hawaii was established by Xerox with a gift of $50,000. As of Thursday, $72,974 had been collected, Ontai said.

She said an advisory board will decide how the money will be given out. Members are Glenn Sexton, vice president and general manager of Xerox Hawaii; Honolulu police Chief Lee Donohue; Pegi Scully, of the Bell Campaign (her son, John Scully, was gunned down in his San Francisco law office in 1993); and Kelvin Taketa, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Community Foundation.

Donations are tax-deductible and may be sent to Hawaii Community Foundation, 900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1300, Honolulu 96813; to First Hawaiian Bank, Trust Department, P.O. Box 3708, Honolulu 96810; or taken to any bank branch.