Buddhist Academy event to honor 5 for leadership

Three men and two organizations will be honored for enlightened leadership by the Pacific Buddhist Academy at its annual Awards Banquet on Friday.

“;Lighting Our Way”; is the theme of the awards, which recognize leadership values taught at the Buddhist high school, including compassion and an awareness of the interdependence of all things.

Tickets for the 5 p.m. event at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel are $125 for individuals. Information on registration and table sponsorship is available by calling 532-2649.

The honorees are:

» Alfred Bloom, retired University of Hawaii religion professor and a prolific writer on Shin Buddhist teachings for a Western audience. He is a frequent contributor to the Star-Bulletin's “;On Faith”; column and published his personal memoir, “;A Life of Serendipity: Blown by the Wind of Amida's Vow,”; last year.

» Dr. William Bolman, professor of child psychiatry at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. As consultant with the World Health Organization, he trained child psychiatrists in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

» Robert Witt, executive director for 20 years of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools and chief executive officer of the Hawaiian Educational Council.

» Aloha Medical Mission, a Honolulu-based organization that has taken health care professionals on 116 volunteer overseas missions to 15 impoverished nations providing surgery for nearly 240,000 patients. It runs a free clinic at Palama Settlement for people without health care services.

» Honolulu Diamond Sangha, a lay Zen Buddhist organization founded in 1959 by Robert and Anne Hopkins Aitkin. It maintains the Palolo Zen Center, where meditation and sutra services are offered. Its members are committed to socially engaged Buddhism, peace and social justice.

Churches on Oahu begin autumn fundraising season

Next Saturday will be the day to cruise for values as Oahu churches begin the fall fundraising season with fairs featuring homemade food and handmade crafts and stitchery.

» Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Ave., 949-2220. Breakfast waffles will be sold at the opening of the Fall Fair, which will continue from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preserves, baked gods, plants, used clothing, furniture, books and other items will be sold. There will be a silent auction. It will support the church transition house for survivors of family violence.

» First Presbyterian Church, 45-550 Kionaole Road, Kaneohe, 532-1111. A farmers market and live and silent auctions will be featured at the Annual Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Handicrafts, baked goods and a “;Chique Boutique”; of upscale clothing, shoes and accessories will also be available. It will benefit women and children missions.

» Harris United Methodist Church, 20 S. Vineyard Blvd., 536-9602. The Harris Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will have plants, a country store, quilts and crafts. There will be a silent auction and a rummage sale of toys, games, books, clothes and other items. Missionary Effort Fund will benefit.

» Manoa Valley Church, 2728 Huapala St., 988-3271. The Harvest Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. will offer plants, crafts, baked goods and rummage sale items. There will be a silent auction and bouncy castles for children. It will benefit the building fund.

Concert to benefit victims in Samoa and Philippines

Several Christian musicians will perform in a concert next Saturday to benefit a relief fund for victims of recent natural disasters in Samoa and the Philippines.

The “;Operation Life”; concert from 5 to 9 p.m. at Word of Life Christian Center, 544 Queen St., will feature Natural Vibes, B.E.T., Ten Feet, Ilona Irvine and others.

Tickets at $20 are available by calling 528-4044 or at http://www.honoluluboxoffice.com.

King's daughter chosen to lead Christian advocates

The Rev. Bernice King embraced the legacy and leadership of her parents yesterday as she became the first woman to head the civil rights organization co-founded by her father.

The youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King vowed to be a bridge between the civil rights generation and the hip-hop generation as the eighth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“;I stand before you as a daughter of the civil rights movement calling forth the daughters and sons of the next generation of social change,”; King said yesterday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her father preached from 1960 until his death in 1968.

By a vote of 23-15, King defeated Judge Wendell Griffen of Little Rock, Ark., for the position.

The SCLC has roughly 10,000 members and nearly 80 chapters in 17 states from Georgia to California.