Highway Champions highlights various volunteers & organizations who have committed to keeping their adopted highway clean.
First Quarter 2012
Congratulations to Tenrikyo Joyous Mission Center for being recognized as our 2012 First Quarter Adopt-A-Highway Champion! This past February marked the ten year anniversary that this organization has been a part of the Adopt-A-Highway Program. Since 2002, this group has been removing debris from a two mile section of Kamehameha Highway from Farrington Highway to the Sears Distribution Center (see map below).
Reverend Tsunenori Ichise and his team of volunteers have been dedicated to keeping this area clean, conducting seven clean up events in 2011 and two events thus far in 2012. Their efforts go a long way towards keeping Hawaii’s storm drains free of pollution and improving the quality of our State’s water.
For more information on how you and your organization can get involved in the Adopt-A-Highway Program visit our website.
Fourth Quarter 2011
Our Highway Champion for the last quarter of 2011 is the Jesus Christ Mission Church, whose membership in the Adopt-A-Highway program began in 2000. The Reverend Jong Soo Park and his group of hard working volunteers have adopted the State Highways in the Kapiolani Blvd., King St., Old Waialae Rd., Harding Ave. interchange.
This heavily trafficked area, which is one of the main entrances to Waikiki, is subjected to an unusual amount of trash and debris, making for a challenging Adopt-A-Highway location. Jesus Christ Mission Church volunteers are doing a great job maintaining the appearance of this area for visitors and local residents alike.
Our thanks and appreciation go out to this longstanding Adopt-A-Highway organization!
Third Quarter 2011
Waianae Baptist Church has been selected as this quarter's Highway Champions. Although small in size, this dedicated group of individuals has been a member of the Adopt-A-Highway program for many years now. Even though the group is only required to complete four clean-up events per year, they regularly hold eight or more events each year in order to keep their section of Farrington Highway on the Waianae Coast beautiful and litter free.
Mae Chung, the group's Adopt-A-Highway chairperson, was asked in a recent interview about the group's most interesting "find" while picking up trash along the highway. She explained that on one occasion, a check in the amount of several thousand dollars was found, made out to a local charity, which was promptly returned to the charity.
We want to send a big Mahalo to our Adopt-A-Highway friends at the Waianae Baptist Church in Makaha!
First Quarter 2011
Our 2011, 1st Quarter Highway Champion is the Sierra Club Hawaii, Oahu Chapter.
Route 72 - between milepost 10.1 and 12 - is a stretch of Kalanianaole Highway that has seen its share of litter. Luckily, the road between Kealahou Street and Koko Head Rifle Range also sees its share of people who care about its beauty and cleanliness.
The Sierra Club Hawaii, Oahu Chapter, adopted the 2-mile section of Kalanianole Highway in 2003 and has been an active and dedicated member of the Adopt-A- Highway program, often combining their highway litter patrols with beach clean-ups. During their last beach clean-up at Sandy Beach on Feb. 27, the team ventured out early to clean highway and coastal areas for two hours, braving traffic and the hot sun!
The Sierra Club’s mission is to protect and restore Hawaii’s environment. This is why we recognize them as this quarter’s Highway Champion. We appreciate the Club’s efforts to keep our highways and oceans free of debris.
Fourth Quarter 2010
Our 2010, 4th Quarter Highway Champions are Stewart and Cecilia Wade of CC&S Wade Realtors / Pacific Properties.
Stewart and Cecilia have been participating in the State’s Adopt-A-Highway Program now for 20 years. They have consistently performed clean up activities along their adopted stretch of Pali Highway from Castle Hospital to Kamehameha Highway at Castle Junction. However, since Stewart is now 96 years old and his wife is 76, they have decided to retire from our Adopt-A-Highway family and pass the baton for this section of highway to Pacific Dynamics Corporation.
Over the years, Stewart has kept meticulous records of how many bags of rubbish the Wades have collected and has noticed a marked decrease in the amount of trash along this section of highway. This shows that the efforts of a dedicated group of private citizens can have a huge impact on our environment and on the actions of others.
We want to congratulate and thank Stewart and Cecilia Wade for their hard work and contribution to our State Highways!
Third Quarter 2010
Congratulations to our Sailors and Marines from COMPACFLT and students from the U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps at Pearl Harbor for earning the title of Highway Champions for the third quarter. This motivated team was out cleaning their stretch of Kamehameha Highway in Pearl Harbor bright and early at 7:30 in the morning on Saturday, June 19, picking up litter that had been strewn into the gutters and storm drains. We salute the Sailors and Marines of COMPACFLT for their service and the cadets for their commitment to keeping Hawaii’s highways and oceans clean. Mahalo!
