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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Toyota-Hawaii marks 50 years with freebies
SERVCO Pacific Inc.'s Toyota-Hawaii is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Hawaii with "50 Days of Giving."
"At Toyota-Hawaii today, our customers are often the children and grandchildren of longtime customers from decades past," said Rick Ching, executive vice president of Servco Pacific, in a statement.
It is common for a company celebrating an anniversary to give paying customers a little something extra.
Tchotchkes come to mind, but Toyota-Hawaii is extending tickets and tender, as in legal tender, to nonprofits and to customers, on gift cards.
Toyota-Hawaii customers who buy a 2008 Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid or Prius during the 50 days will receive a $250 VISA gift card, which can be spent like cash.
Through April 28, a portion of sales on those models will be donated to charities.
Before the end of this month, hybrid-buyers also will receive a pair of tickets to the sold-out Kokua Festival April 19 and 20, starring recording artists Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews.
Johnson is a founder of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which develops and supports environmental education programs.
Matthews, were you to ask your columnist's daughter and her BFF Samantha, is just awesome -- though they would probably use a cooler word -- and they would text it to you with the admonishment that, "Nobody talks to each other anymore."
BTW (by the way), the use of LOL (laugh out loud) is so five minutes ago (tragically pass) as to cause loss of cool points, but your columnist digresses.
The company plans additional promotional activities and events through September.
Hawaiian headlines
The hana laulima, or cooperation, continues for KGMB-TV and Kamehameha Schools, though the first high-def broadcast of the annual song contest is pau.
KGMB's "Sunrise" morning show has made permanent its Hawaiian-language headlines feature, "Aha'i Oleo Ola: Messenger of a Living Language."
Presented by Amy Kalili, the segment debuted last week as a prelude to the song contest, but News Director Chris Archer cited popular demand and positive community feedback in the decision to keep it going.
A "Hawaiian word of the day" feature has been commonplace in local media, probably for generations.
Longer-form Hawaiian language content, such as the KGMB headlines or the Kauakukalahale column in the Sunday "Hoku Buletina" is harder to find.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com