The East-West Center honored several alumni for their outstanding personal accomplishments and service, including Riley K. Lee, an internationally recognized performing artist of the traditional Japanese shakuhachi flute; Kuldeep Mathur, former director of India's Jawaharlal Nehru University and director of the Indian Institute of Public Administration; and Dennis C. Zvinakis (posthumous), a Foreign Service officer with the Agency for International Development, and development professional in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The East-West Center Association Makana Award went to Didin Sastrapradja, longtime Indonesia Chapter and EWCA executive board leader. Outstanding Volunteer Awards winners are U Maung Maung, Burma; Joseph L. Overton, U.S.; Claire Koch Langham Richmond, U.S.; and A. Seshan, India.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas has given one of its 2008 Presidential Awards to the United Filipino Council of Hawaii. The UFCH, the umbrella group of more than 350 Filipino organizations in Hawaii, won the Banaag Award for preserving and promoting Filipino culture and traditions in Hawaii.

Members of 43 Rotary Clubs statewide donated $1,000 to Waimalu Elementary School to replace stolen fundraising recyclables students had collected.