First Hawaiian Bank, one of the state’s largest charitable contributors, donated more than $2.5 million in 2011 to 400 nonprofits in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan and has pledged to give a similar amount this year.
This year’s commitment would bring the bank’s total donations to $7.5 million through a three-year period. Its donation in 2010 was $2.5 million.
"We made a promise that we would match the $2.5 million support that we achieved in 2010, and we are thrilled that we were able to do it again in 2011, providing $5 million to charity over the past two years," First Hawaiian President and CEO Bob Harrison said. "Supporting charities has been a part of our bank’s culture for over 150 years, and we recognize that significant support is vital for the health of our communities."
First Hawaiian, with 58 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan, said 96 percent of its employees participated last year in Kokua Mai, the bank’s annual employee-giving campaign. The employees and retirees in 2011 raised more than $575,000 for 38 local community nonprofits, which was included in the more than $2.5 million that the bank gave out during the year. Since Kokua Mai’s inception in 2007, bank employees and retirees have donated nearly $2.9 million to charities in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.
Siana Austin Hunt, executive director of Make-a-Wish Foundation of Hawaii, said she is grateful for the continued support of the Kokua Mai program.
"We are delighted that the employees of First Hawaiian Bank recognize the value of supporting our local keiki facing life-threatening medical conditions and partner with us to enrich their experience with hope, strength and joy," Austin Hunt said.
Xander van den Berg, 9, who is undergoing treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was one of the children who benefited from the bank’s contribution and was able to take a trip with his family last year to Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
"The trip was a dream come true," said Xander’s mother, Lisa van den Berg. "We shared many laughs, lots of love, and most of all, Xander got to spend his summer like a child should … carefree and happy."
Lori Miller, executive director of Kauai Hospice, another one of the nonprofit recipients, said the money will be used to further the mission of hospice to ensure the highest quality of life possible for individuals and their families who are facing a life-threatening illness, to provide bereavement services and to promote understanding of hospice services.
Tracy Aiwohi, board president of the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, said the money his organization got will help support the services and programs provided to Hawaii’s children and their families as they battle childhood cancer.
Each year, the bank’s branches also serve as collection points for various charitable causes, including the Star-Advertiser Good Neighbor Fund, Lokahi Giving Project, Special Olympics Troy Barboza Torch Run, Honolulu City Lights ornament fundraiser and the Hawaii Foodbank. The bank held a fundraising drive for Japan Tsunami relief last year and collected $1.2 million for the Japanese Red Cross Society.
First Hawaiian, the state’s largest bank with $15.8 billion in assets, earned $209 million last year, down 1.7 percent from $212.8 million in 2010. Excluding a one-time tax benefit from investment tax credits in 2010, the bank’s earnings rose 3.4 percent last year to $209 million from $202.1 million in the previous year.
