Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Oahu man will receive
By Mary Adamski
national award tonight for
volunteer efforts
Star-BulletinWhen Wayne Kishida moved out and moved on, he didn't leave his childhood neighborhood in Kalihi behind.
He's spent more than 30 years there as an athletic coach and mentor to children and youths, working at Lanakila District Park with the Police Athletics League and city Parks and Recreation Department programs. Kishida tonight will be given a national award for his volunteer efforts, which go beyond the sports fields. He is one of 10 people who will be given a Lewis Hine Award by the National Child Labor Committee in a ceremony in New York City.
The award, which recognizes volunteers and professionals for their dedication on behalf of youngsters, is named for a pioneering socialist whose photos of exploited children led to the nation's first child labor laws.
"This award is really for all volunteers and that's how I'm accepting it," Kishida said last night from his hotel. "It just so happened we were fortunate to be chosen. It's kind of like we represent all volunteers from Hawaii."
Kishida, a public relations consultant with Union Care insurance company, grew up in the Lanakila area, his mother working three jobs to support her four children.
"In the early 60s, there were organized sports groups, people reaching out to help us. I got into baseball, basketball. Those programs helped us, it's what started changing the community," Kishida recalled. Kishida said he and others were asked to return and help. "Most of us live away from the area and have moved on," but many responded to the call.
"I was fortunate a lot of people believed in me, whatever I got involved with, they came on board and helped out. You do these things forever and you know it's got to be done. I don't even remember all the stuff," he laughed.
He was reminded of one of his efforts at a reunion in New York with Joyce Richards, former executive director of the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii, who now works at the national Girl Scout offices. They were on a six-person committee that created a mentoring project in Hawaii -- Teaming for Tomorrow -- which was developed into a national Girl Scout program.
Kishida is on the board of the Oahu Private Industry Council, working to develop internships, create job fairs and career guidance classes for youngsters. The council advises the city Department of Community Services' Work Hawaii program.
The National Child Labor Committee announcement said Kishida has intervened in youth gang problems and brought gang members into athletic activities.
The longtime coach is reluctant to describe activities in terms of troubled kids. "We've had a few gang fights down there, where we intervened. We got the kids involved in programs and that eliminated trouble."
He noted that it's basketball season now, with 21 teams for youths 5 to 15 years old, and with the 18 and under group soon to start. "That's where most of our gang prevention really works. They don't have much to do." Kishida said that he'd like to see some organization plan dances for teen-agers, an activity that schools and churches discontinued because of liability concerns with the threat of disruption and gang fights. "Prevention programs don't get recognized enough because every thing is heavy on treatment," he said. "The unsung heroes are the ones doing prevention programs, just keeping people occupied and away from trouble."
His wife, Beverly, will be with Kishida at the award presentation. "That's where the support is when you're a volunteer -- it's your family making sacrifices."
