Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Associations Enhance Community Through Outreach When Meeting in Hawai'i


Three of the Hawai‘i Convention Center’s largest meetings of 2011 made significant contributions to Hawai‘i schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and communities, all while attracting more than 25,000 participants from around the world, resulting in more than $120 million in state revenue. The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) worked to improve the mental and physical health of Hawai‘i communities through these efforts and the donation of more than $17,000. 

The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) 77th Annual CHEST Meeting
DATE: Oct. 22-26, 2011
ATTENDANCE: 6,000 
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Under ACCP’s philanthropic arm, The Chest Foundation, 45 volunteers and medical professionals worked with Honolulu’s Sacred Hearts Academy on October 24 to educate more than 100 fifth- and sixth-grade students in a half dozen classes about tobacco prevention and lung health.  The Chest Foundation’s OneBreath initiative also donated $10,000 to support ongoing health programs and activities at the school. In addition, renowned specialists delivered “grand rounds” lectures at select Hawai’i hospitals to provide their expertise on specific patient cases.

The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) 164th Annual Meeting
DATE: May 14-18, 2011
ATTENDANCE: 10,000
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: As part of the “APA Gives Back Program,” meeting participants donated $7,158 for Hawai`i nonprofit Mental Health Kokua, which helps people with mental illness achieve optimum recovery and the ability to function in the community. APA’s contribution will support the organization’s tele-health program, which provides care to dozens of people across the state, many of whom live in rural areas, who are recovering from mental illness. The American Psychiatric Foundation, the charitable arm of APA, also hosted the Hawai`i Aloha Classic 2011 golf tournament in partnership with the Waipahu Aloha Club at the Waikele Country Club on May 13 to assist in raising funds.

The American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) 63rd Annual Meeting
DATE: April 9-16, 2011
ATTENDANCE: 10,000
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: The American Academy of Neurology Foundation, which supports education and research in neurology, held its first-ever Brain Health Fair, a public event that drew more than 1,400 participants to the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki on April 9. The free event included a film festival, interactive exhibits, giveaways, family-friendly activities and Q&A sessions with experts – all to promote brain health.

“The positive impact of groups meeting in Hawai‘i often reaches much further than room nights and visitor spending. The wealth of information, resources and generosity that these meetings have brought to Hawai‘i will enhance our islands for years to come,” said Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center. “We are proud to see our guests and partners carry on the spirit of Na Mea Ho`okipa – the unconditional aloha spirit that the Hawai‘i Convention Center holds at the center of its mission.”

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Foundation Assists Women Veterans with Job Placement


The Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit seeking to help veterans transition back to the civilian workforce, announced a donation of $100,000 to the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW Foundation). BPW Foundation will use the funds to assist women veterans with education and training programs and employment opportunities.


Colonel Alan Baldwin, (USMC-Ret.), an advisory council member with the Call of Duty Endowment, said, “As our military heroes return home from combat, they not only face a rough economy, but also have a difficult time finding employment in the civilian workforce.  Unemployment among post 9/11 female veterans is higher than their male counterparts. The Call of Duty Endowment is proud to partner with the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation to help our female veterans with the necessary resources to find meaningful employment.”


BPW Foundation will launch its “Joining Forces for Women Veteran’s Mentoring Project,” building pilot projects in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC, as models for national replication in other regions. Thousands of women veterans and military spouses will be connected with resources and employment opportunities. The grant from the Endowment will specifically be used to recruit a minimum of 1,000 women veterans and military spouses as mentors and mentees.


Deborah L. Frett, CEO of BPW Foundation, said, “BPW Foundation thanks the Call of Duty Endowment for its continued push to ensure women veterans receive job training and placement assistance.  Our partnership will ensure that by the end of the first year of the Joining Forces for Women Veterans and Military Spouses Mentoring Project, at least 300 women veterans will enter into meaningful employment or education and training programs through the funds provided by the Endowment.”


The grant was announced at the most recent stop on the Purpose Driven Rehab Fall Tour – a Miami Dolphins NFL home game in Miami, Florida. The Call of Duty Endowment recently teamed up with the Pro vs. GI Joe’s sponsored tour – a military support initiative in which wounded veterans manage events at some of the biggest sporting venues across the country. This program gives purpose and responsibility to rehabbing veterans, while also bringing national awareness to veterans’ issues.
Since Activision, the worldwide online and console video game publisher and producer of the Call of Duty® video game franchise, established the Call of Duty Endowment in November 2009, it has delivered more than $1,500,000 in grants and scholarships to assist returning veterans with post military career help.  This past Veterans Day, Activision committed another $3 million to the Endowment and pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans.


About the Call of Duty Endowment
The Call of Duty Endowment is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, which seeks to help organizations that provide job placement and training for veterans. Visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.


About Business and Professional Women’s Foundation
Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, the first foundation to focus its resources on working women, is Joining Forces for Women Veterans across the country to provide support and resources to women veterans and their families as they return to their civilian lives, including providing mentorships to 10,000 women vets and military spouses by the end of 2012. Visit www.bpwfoundation.org.


About Pro vs. GI Joe
Pro vs. GI Joe is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, changing the way our troops stay connected. Pro vs. GI Joe provides America's heroes with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities by pitting them against their favorite professional athletes and celebrities in heated, yet fun video game competitions via the Internet and in person. Visit www.purposedrivenrehab.org