TheBuzz
TheBuzz
What started out as a grand opening and a way to introduce a new isle cooking show has become a fund-raiser for charity here at home. Fund raising for
the homefrontThe idea sprouted between Tom Rossi, CEO of Boston's North End Pizza and host of the "What's Cooking, Hawaii," segment of Hawaii's Beauty & Diversity TV show, and Restaurant Pier 7 President and Chef Hiromasa Yaguchi before the Sept. 11 attacks.
"We feel very distraught as do all good Americans about the disaster Sept. 11," Rossi said in his Bostonian accent, "and here come the holidays." Rossi said without disregarding the huge need to send monetary help to disaster relief efforts, he and Yaguchi decided to do something "for the folks here at home."
Rossi featured Yaguchi in a show segment and the two restaurateurs hit it off, meeting again to discuss a joint project which has become the invitation-only fund-raiser for the American Red Cross Hawaii Chapter.
The event will be hosted by Restaurant Pier 7, Beauty & Diversity TV President and Executive Producer Emily Lopez and Rossi. Lopez will tape an episode of her show at the function Friday Oct. 12. "The Hawaii Maritime Center has opened up the Falls of Clyde," Lopez said, taking the event's capacity to 350 to 400 guests. Entertainment, an art auction and prize giveaways will be featured.
Corporate donations of additional prizes to spur the fund-raising are being accepted by Lopez and her staff.
For now Hawaii's BDTV, as it's called, airs Wednesday and Friday at 10 p.m., but will change midmonth to Tuesday and Saturday at 10 p.m. The show also airs on KGMB TV Sundays at 1:30 p.m. if no sports broadcast is scheduled.
Sometimes more is more
The Honolulu Board of Realtors and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin have created an affiliation to benefit readers and Realtors on Oahu. Starting with this Sunday's paper, the revamped Island Homes pull-out section will list every Oahu open house that has been reported to the Board of Realtors.
"This is a unique opportunity for buyers and sellers on Oahu," said Peter Freeman, president and CEO of the Honolulu Board of Realtors. "The alliance has established the next step in the progressive marketing of single-family homes and condominiums," he said, noting it "allows for exposure of these open houses to be seen at www.hicentral.com" (the board's Web site).
"Instead of looking at 50 different publications," said Star-Bulletin Real Estate Sales Manager Eran Kennedy, "readers can find all the information they need in just one."
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, 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