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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
VASH bash honors
old and new leadersMax, Roxanne, Kerry and Claire had a Hawaii vacation and life treasures -- like an address book with 30 years of friends' names and addresses -- stolen from their rental car.
Quentin helped revive a near-drowning victim and returned to his spot on the beach to find his and his girlfriend's belongings stolen.
Police officers who responded to the crimes referred them to the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii and the visitors were soon comforted with gifts of aloha from businesses and individuals.
VASH honored two past chairmen yesterday at the Pacific Beach Hotel. It also welcomed incoming Chairwoman Jessica Lani Rich, news and public service director for KUMU-FM 94.7/AM 1500 and special events coordinator for the Honolulu City Council.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Warren Ferreira, who received a plaque yesterday to mark his chairmanship last year of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, is joined by, from left, Honolulu police Chief Lee Donohue; Rick Egged, VASH chairman in 2001; and City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle.
City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle and Honolulu police Chief Lee Donohue were introduced to say a few words about Rick Egged and Warren Ferreira.
Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, was VASH chairman in 2001. Ferreira, corporate director of security for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, served as president for two years and chairman for 2003. Both will continue serving VASH as vice chairmen, akin to the immediate past president post on other nonprofit boards.
Egged and Ferreira were praised for their leadership and for having raised the professionalism of the relatively young organization. VASH was established in 1996 by the Rotary Club of Honolulu and has since become an independent organization that facilitated creation of other VASH chapters on the neighbor islands.
VASH's leadership has made the organization a model for similar groups in other visitor destinations such as Anaheim, Calif; Orlando, Fla.; and Las Vegas, Carlisle said.
Donohue and Ferreira both worked Pearl City early in their HPD careers, the chief remembered. He described Ferreira as a mentor then and praised the work he has done since leaving HPD 14 years ago.
VASH, the police department and prosecutor's office maintain close ties, and Carlisle and Donohue tout the high level of cooperation enjoyed as a result.
However, another crucial element is business support, Carlisle said. Such support will come back to the businesses in the form of goodwill and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
"The other thing is, it's doing the right thing," Carlisle said. If something bad happens to a guest in your home, you're going to do everything you can to make it right, he said.
The VASH database contains 400 businesses that contribute goods and services regularly or as needed, to show aloha to those visitors who have been victimized by crime or befallen other misfortune in Hawaii. Hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, attractions, retail stores and entertainment venues are there to draw from.
"They all help us in certain ways," said VASH President and Executive Director Rika Ikeda. The in-kind donations add to the organization's primary funding, which comes from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. VASH case worker volunteers work closely with victims to ensure that their needs are met.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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
