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Tripler rules allow
some solicitations

Question: The Veterans of Foreign Wars were accosting people and soliciting donations for their poppies at Tripler Army Medical Center when I was there in May. I called the executive officer, and they said they approved this through their Judge Advocate Office for nonprofits. Is there a standard procedure or uniform policy for nonprofit organizations to solicit donations at military facilities throughout Hawaii? It strikes me that if they allow one, how can they not allow all?

Answer: Tripler Army Medical Center follows Army Regulation 600-29 -- "Fund-Raising Within the Department of the Army" -- in determining what groups are allowed to solicit on site, said Margaret Tippy, the center's public affairs officer.

That regulation states that "fund-raising activities to assist the unfortunate may be authorized by local commanders and heads of activities, provided such activities are consistent with the general provision of this regulation. These fund-raising activities may include the use of 'poppies' or other similar tokens by veterans' organizations."

Tippy says yours is the only complaint, to her knowledge, received at Tripler about the solicitations by the VFW.

"The majority of people who were carrying poppies at the medical center appeared pleased with their encounters with the veterans," she said, adding that a donation was not required to receive a poppy.

If any organization is interested in soliciting on Tripler grounds, Tippy said to send the request to Tripler Army Medical Center, ATTN: MCHK-IM (Admin Services), 1 Jarrett White Road, Honolulu, HI 96859-5000.

Mahalo

To a pizza driver who inspired me to sign up for CPR classes. Several months ago you ran a "mahalo" about a pizza driver who went out of her way to help an injured woman. She was working for Papa John's then. It seems as though that same person, now working for Domino's, just saved a life the other day when she stopped to save a choking baby. She showed up out of the blue, calmed everyone down and made one family very thankful. I was so impressed with what she did that I am signing up for CPR and maybe first-aid classes. It occurred to all of us there that had she not stopped, the baby might have died. If you could let her know that she inspired someone to get trained, that would be so cool! -- Bethany Murphy

We ran a "mahalo" on Oct. 18 from H. Metzger to "Tracy, who works at Papa John's Pizza on Vineyard Boulevard," for helping her after she stumbled and injured her ankle.

We found Tracy Clinger now working for Domino's on Nuuanu Avenue. She was embarrassed by the attention, saying she didn't do anything special in either instance. "You stop when you see something going on -- that's been my way of life," she said.

Clinger did note that "someone saved my life in a wreck once, so what goes around comes around, I guess."

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