First Hawaii Title Puts Its Best Foot Forward

First Hawaii Title Corporation, Hawaii’s only 100% Employee owned title and escrow company participated in the 30th Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk on Saturday, May 17th. The Charity Walk is a statewide annual event sponsored by the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association.. Last year more than 10,000 walkers raised over $1.1 million which helped over 190 local charities. The Charity Walk has grown to become one of the largest single-day fundraising event sponsored by a non-profit organization in the State of Hawaii, raising over $19 million since its inception in 1978.

With branches on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, First Hawaii Title involved all of our employee owners. Armed with our company’s motto of “We Put You FIRST!”, we walked with clients, friends, and families for this worthy cause. Through our nine statewide branches, First Hawaii Title recorded over $5,000 in donations.

The ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) Communications Committee was the driving force behind the company's involvement and they are proud to announce the walk was a success. First Hawaii Title employees are already gearing up for another exciting walk next year with a goal of collecting more than double the contributions collected this year.

(Maui News Article by: Joseph W. Bean)

Once a year, every year, the visitor industry across the state of Hawaii becomes the local version of a boots-on-the-ground army for local charity. Of course, there were probably more rubber slippers than boots on the ground for the Maui Visitor Industry Charity Walk at 7 a.m. this morning at Keopuolani Park, but footgear is not the point. Even the walking is just an outward celebration of the funds already raised by the walkers who have to put together at least $35 each (under 18, $25) to join the fun.

This is No. 30. Since 1978, the Visitor Industry Charity Walk has been going strong, raising funds for numerous charities. Last year, just on Maui, there were 1,500 participants who raised $360,000 for more than 65 Maui charities. Stop. You don’t have to do the math. That means an average of $240 was raised by each person who stepped onto the Charity Walk path.

Here’s the thing: You don’t have to be in the visitor industry to do this or to donate. Teams from all over—families, companies, everyone—can join in, and at least one real estate industry team took the field this time. “First Hawaii Title Corporation will be participating statewide in the Visitor Industry Charity Walk,” said Director of Business Development for the Island of Maui Joan Martin. “We are a statewide Hawaii company, and this is one opportunity to show our community how much we care.”

First Hawaii is an employee-owned company. So, when Martin speaks of caring, she means it. There is no cigar-chomping boss in a Mainland tower imagining it would be good for the company’s image to do a little something for charity in Maui. “In fact,” Martin added, “doing this also incorporates the 2008 resolutions that employees set forth earlier this year. Our ESOP Communications Committee believes this event is a perfect fit for us since it’s done all across the state and the money helps so many organizations. We participate in many community events throughout the year, but this is the first time we’ve done something like this, and we’re hoping to make it an annual event for the company.” By the way, ESOP refers to the employee stock ownership plan.

If you and your company missed out this weekend, start planning now to join First Hawaii Title Corporation on the Charity Walk path next year. Design a team T-shirt and enter the event’s T-shirt contest. Do anything make it fun for you. Worrying about a big athletic exertion? Don’t! The route this year started at the War Memorial soccer field and made an easy loop through the park and down past Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center with the furthest point being at Lono and East-West Kamehameha. Total walking distance? Probably about equal to a shopping spree inside Kaahumanu. You can do this. Every single First Title employee on Maui participated—even the ones off-island or on vacation found ways—and very few of them would claim to be athletic. Just like you, they are busy working islanders.

Look, you have a year now. Make the most of it. “Challenge First Hawaii Title Corporation,” said Martin with a laugh, “bring it on.” Or challenge your competitor or the company next door to yours. Maybe the one who raises the least for the 2009 Maui Visitor Industry Charity Walk has to treat the other to a BBQ on the beach. Yeah, it would be terrible to lose a challenge that forced you to spend a day cooking up fish and burgers on a Maui beach, wouldn’t it!

This truly excellent (not to mention fun) charity event is cosponsored locally by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association and two state associations. Check it out at www.charitywalkhawaii.org.



 

Charity Walk Participants: Kerra Wong, Jerome Acadimia, Mirriam Domingo, Cari Kawachi  Right Picture: Carol Reimann, Executive Director, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, joins with First Hawaii Title employees Diane Wanner, Susi Kaikala, Belinda Lines, Jeanette Corden, Pam Lapham, Joan Martin, Colleen Kibler and Lisa Mahuna in preparation for the 2008 Visitor Industry Charity Walk.