Before a sold-out room, YWCA of Hawaii Island honored restaurateur Debra Ching Maiava and the late Dave De Luz Sr. last month as its 2022 Remarkable People.
The 11th annual event was held on July 28 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Campus Center Dining Room.
Last held in 2019, Remarkable People returned this summer after a hiatus due to the pandemic, selling out early and netting a record $25,635.
“We were thrilled to celebrate Debbie and the legacy of Dave De Luz Sr. for their monumental contributions to the local workplace and our community,” Kathleen McGilvray, CEO of YWCA of Hawaii Island, said in a press release. “As many of us came together in person for the first time in years, the energy and goodwill in the room was palpable.”
Ching Maiava is the owner of Hilo restaurants Ken’s House of Pancakes and Pond’s.
De Luz Sr., who passed away in 2018 at the age of 86, was the owner of Big Island Toyota, De Luz Chevrolet, Kukaiau Ranch and Hawaii Beef Producers, and was the founder of Big Island Motors.
All of the funds raised from the event stay in the county to ensure YWCA of Hawaii Island’s vital services are available to those who need them, according to the press release.
These services are provided through YWCA’s three signature programs: Sexual assault support services, including the only 24-hour sexual assault hotline for the island (1-808-935-0677); the Healthy Families program that empowers families to raise healthy, well-adjusted children; and YWCA preschool, one of the only nationally accredited, developmental preschools in East Hawaii.
For more about YWCA of Hawaii Island visit www.ywcahawaiiisland.org/.
YWCA of Hawaii Island is part of YWCA USA, the oldest and largest national women’s organization with the mission of empowering women and eliminating racism.