Curling fundraiser brings in $100,000

American Savings Bank said its curling fundraiser Thursday at the Ice Palace raised $100,000 for the Ka Pa‘alana Homeless Family Education Program. The program serves families on Oahu’s Leeward Coast by helping them become more self-sufficient and preparing the children for success in the classroom.

Olympic curlers Shawn Rojeski and Jessica Schultz assisted at the event, in which 20 six-member teams primarily representing local companies competed against each other in two heats. The cost per team ranged from $5,000 to $7,000 depending on the heat.

The overall winner was the “Electric Sliders” from Hawaiian Electric Co., which competed in the $5,000-per-team heat but accumulated the most points. Team members were Becca Dayhuff Matsushima, Erin Kippen, Kevin Katsura, Kevin Saito, Scott Seu and Susan Li.

The winner of the $7,000-per-team heat was “The Curling Stones” from Koa Capital Partners. Team members were Andrea Zannoni, Spencer Mawhar, Ernest Shih, Ben Ancheta, Fayez Rumi and Edward Campbell.

Isle students test their investment skills

The Hawaii Stock Market Simulation, which tests students’ investment skills, has gotten underway for the fall semester.

Students learn how the stock market works and how to make wise personal financial decisions. The event is administered by the Hawaii Council on Economic Education.

There are currently 664 teams comprising 1,403 students from 26 public, private and charter schools and organizations across the state. Thirty teachers are participating from Oahu, Hawaii island and Maui.

“The Hawaii Stock Market Simulation provides young students the opportunity to learn about … the stock market in a very fun and engaging way,” said Kevin Matsuda, executive director of HCEE. “They’re utilizing the concepts they learn from their teachers and setting the framework for their own healthy financial futures. It’s a fun program to offer.”

The contest began Monday and runs through Dec. 4. Registration is open until Oct. 15 for new teachers who want to sign up. Another contest will be held in the spring. A complete list of team rankings can be viewed at hawaiisms.com.

Google completes transition to Alphabet

NEW YORK >> Google is officially Alphabet.

Google Inc. on Friday completed the move to reorganize into a holding company called Alphabet Inc., and its stock will begin trading as Alphabet on the Nasdaq under the same tickers “GOOG” and “GOOGL” on Monday. Each share of Google will be automatically converted to Alphabet stock.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet, said in August it would create a new company that would oversee both its highly lucrative Internet business and its other ventures like building self-driving cars and researching ways to prolong human life.

ON THE MOVE

PKF Pacific Hawaii has announced the following two appointments:

> Maria Su is a senior manager. She has more than 10 years of experience providing investigative fraud services and other types of consulting to domestic and international companies, including serving as a director in the forensic and litigation consulting division of FTI Consulting in San Francisco.

>> Matthew Woodward is a senior associate. He has three years’ experience in performing financial statement audits for companies in a range of industries, including serving as a senior audit associate for Grant Thornton in Houston.

Oahu Transit Services has hired Charlotte L. Townsend as its new paratransit vice president. She has been an advocate for persons with disabilities for the last 35 years, including working on the state Department of Health’s Disability and Communications Access Board as well as at Abilities Unlimited (aka Winners at Work) and the Autistic Vocational Education Center.