Kona Walmart recently held a day of celebration for associates after the store was honored as the 2025 Division 1 “Hometown Store of The Year” for Walmart’s Region 57, topping all other general merchandise stores in the region for the company.
The region includes stores in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and southern Utah.
Criteria for award selection included customer service and sales ratings as well as community outreach, among other categories.
Among the community support efforts last year, Kona Walmart helped raise $117,747 in 2025 for Hawaii’s Children’s Miracle Network hospital, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children.
Kona Walmart was the top fundraising store for Walmart in the U.S.
“I’m very proud of our Kona Walmart team,” John Yates, III, store manager for Kona Walmart, said in a press release.
“We faced a number of opportunities last year and came together as one team to exceed our goals and lead the Division 1 stores across the region. It’s an amazing accomplishment.”
Yates and department managers celebrated the news at a staff meeting with many of the store’s associates, Hawaii Walmart executives, and other guests.