For more information on this project or the foundation, contact Rogers at 935-2957 or visit www.hilomedicalcenterfoundation.org.
On a couple of rain-drenched, winter-break days in December, more than 30 volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of East Hawaii ohana donated some elbow grease toward prepping the exterior of the Hilo Medical Center’s River Cottage for painting. CEO Fred Yamashiro and Gary Castro of the YMCA also joined in the Dec. 21-22 work party.
Volunteers under the Kiwanis Club of East Hawaii umbrella consisted of members from Circle K International at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the Waiakea High School Key Club.
They were equipped with steel brushes and scrapers to remove old paint from the cottage.
The Kiwanis service project is one of many community group contributions to HMC’s project to renovate the hospital’s cottage.
When completed, the cottage will provide medical students and residents with free housing while they do their medical rotation on the Big Island.
“Studies show that a good portion of physicians choose to work in the town where they completed their residencies,” said HMC Foundation Executive Director Lori Rogers.
“The HMC Foundation prioritized this project of offering free housing to better encourage medical students and residents to come to study in Hilo, with the hopes that they will stay and practice here, she said.
“A special mahalo goes to Bill Lin from Yama’s Roofing for providing ladders for the volunteers to use and Kandi’s Drive Inn and Kozmic Cones for providing lunch.”
For more information on this project or the foundation, contact Rogers at 935-2957 or visit www.hilomedicalcenterfoundation.org.