Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: I've seen several people wearing red-white-and-blue ribbons since Tuesday's terrorist attacks. Patriotic ribbons
available for saleI was wondering where you can buy or get one of these ribbons.
Answer: Some groups have made the ribbons, which have become symbols of America in mourning, to give away in return for a donation to help in relief and recovery efforts; on the mainland, the Jo-Ann store chain gave customers free ribbon kits.
In Hawaii, some 2,500 red-white-and-blue ribbons were made for participants in last Saturday's canceled Aloha Festivals parade.
In response to your query, Aloha Festivals Executive Director Janet Hyrne said the ribbons would be made available to the public for a donation. Ribbons will be limited to one per person, she said. A portion of the money collected will be used to help the financially struggling nonprofit organization, she said, and the rest will be donated to the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii to help visitors who may be stranded here because of the air travel disruption.
The donation can be "whatever people feel they want to give," Hyrne said.
To get a ribbon, visit the Aloha Festivals office at Ward Warehouse, second floor, above Nohea Galleries. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, call 589-1771.
Q: I had some checks made payable to the "September 11th Fund." I tried to drop them off at Foodland at Ala Moana and they refused to take the checks unless they were made out to Foodland. I read that the checks were supposed to be made out to the "September 11th Fund," so why is Foodland saying the checks should be made payable to them?
A: It apparently was a case of miscommunication.
Foodland is one of several businesses where people were told they could drop off checks to help victims and families of the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings. The "September 11th Fund" is being handled by the Hawaii Community Foundation.
Before yesterday, Foodland cashiers were not aware that customers were told specifically to make the checks out to the "September 11th Fund," Foodland spokeswoman Sheryl Toda said. She said a memo would be sent immediately to all outlets informing cashiers to accept such checks.
However, be aware that no matching donation will be made in those cases.
As part of its ongoing Give Aloha program, Foodland invites customers to make a donation at any Foodland or Sack 'n Save checkout counter, up to $249 per person, to various nonprofit organizations. Foodland then matches the amount donated. But for a matching donation to be made, a cashier has to punch in a code, then ring up the donation as if it were a grocery purchase, "so it goes through our system," Toda explained.
"So any kind of payment needs to be made to Foodland (or Sack 'n Save) ... "
A check made out to the "September 11th Fund" cannot be processed in that way, she said, and thus, it would not qualify for the Give Aloha program.
For more information about the fund, call the Hawaii Community Foundation at 537-6333.
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com