The East-West Center received two grants totaling $992,000 from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to support the U.S.-Timor-Leste and U.S.-South Pacific Scholarship Programs. These programs aim to develop a corps of leaders who will contribute to political, economic, and social development in their home countries and strengthen relations with the United States.

  AIG Hawaii Insurance Company, Inc. gave the Hawaii and Neighbor Island Food Banks more than 13,000 pounds of food collected statewide through a three-week employee and public food drive.

  Grand prize winners on the Big Island of the KTA Super Stores “;Preserve and Conserve”; poetry contest, held in conjunction with its annual Kokua I Na Kula program, are Nicole Cerezo, grade 5, St. Joseph School; Jay Chang, grade 6, Haaheo Elementary School; and Sage Van Kralingen, grade 12, St. Joseph. First place prizes were awarded to Dana Mahelona-Rogers, grade 4, Kealakehe Elementary School; Sherry Anne Pancho, grade 6, Waimea Middle School; and Sera Tebelak, grade 10, Hilo High School.