JASH Bridge Awards Event & Online Silent Auction

Dear Members and Friends of JASH, This Giving Tuesday, mark your calendar and get ready to bid in our major annual fundraiser starting NEXT WEEK: our Bridge Awards Event & Silent Auction! Our Bridge Awards is one of our biggest annual benefit events, and the funds raised through its silent auction continue building bridges between Hawaii and Japan through our educational, professional development, and business-focused programs. During this year’s season of giving, we humbly ask for your support through our silent auction fundraiser. If you are interested in donating to JASH in other ways, we are also participating in Friends of Hawaii Charities’ Aloha for Hawaii Charities giving campaign! CLICK HERE to support the Japan-America Society of Hawaii and help us get AFHC’s bonus boost.

ONLINE SILENT AUCTION

Typically held live during our Bridge Awards program, this year’s silent auction will be available ONLINE. This means everyone has the opportunity to bid and win fabulous items from the comfort of home! We can’t wait for you to see our prizes from our generous donors, including luxurious travel and staycation packages, fine wines and spirits, and perfect last-minute Christmas gifts! Keep an eye out next week Tuesday, December 7 for the link to our auction webpage, and add the following dates to your calendar so you don’t miss any bids:

Auction Preview: Tuesday, December 7 at 12PM (Noon) Auction Starts: Friday, December 10 at 12PM (Noon) Auction Ends: Tuesday, December 14 at 11:59PM (Midnight)

BRIDGE AWARDS EVENT

For those of you joining us for our in-person Bridge Awards Event, we look forward to seeing you for your lunch or dinner reservation at the Halekulani Hotel’s Hau Terrace on Tuesday, December 14. We are honored to award Dr. James Barahal, President/CEO of the Honolulu Marathon, and Japan Airlines this year’s Bridge Awards for promoting understanding and friendship between Hawaii and Japan. With our community’s health being our priority, we will be operating under strict guidelines to ensure that our celebration is safe and enjoyable for our members and honorees. The limited capacity means that general ticket sales were not available, and many of our JASH ʻOhana are unable to join us in-person this year. If you do wish to support JASH through the Bridge Awards Event, we invite you to join our online Silent Auction. We sincerely appreciate your support and understanding as we continue to navigate these unique challenges during these unprecedented times.

HONOREES

Dr. James Barahal is the President and CEO of the Honolulu Marathon Association and a General Practice and Urgent Care Doctor at Straub Medical Center. A man of many hats, Dr. Barahal is an experienced leader and entrepreneur in the world of athletics and event management, as well as the originator of urgent care and patient-centered health care in Hawaii. Since joining the Honolulu Marathon Association as president and CEO in 1987, he has grown the marathon into the fourth largest marathon event in the USA and has created and scaled multiple other running events, working with a roster of large multinational companies. Dr. Barahal was inducted into Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 for his work with the Honolulu Marathon and other professional and youth sporting events.

Japan Airlines (JAL) was established in 1951 and began scheduled domestic air service the following year. On February 2, 1954, JAL commenced its first international route from Tokyo to Honolulu with a refueling stop in Wake Island. From Honolulu, the flight continued on to San Francisco. The inaugural twice-weekly round trip service was operated with a DC-6B aircraft named the “City of Tokyo.” ​

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, JAL was operating seven (7) daily flights between Japan and Hawaii including four (4) flights between Tokyo and Honolulu and one (1) flight each between Osaka and Honolulu, Nagoya and Honolulu as well as between Narita and Kona.

For 67 years, Japan Airlines has been connecting the people and cultures of Hawaii and Japan. Over the years, JAL has proudly provided scheduled air service and enthusiastically supported long-standing community traditions such as the HJJCC’s Cherry Blossom Festival, the Wolfhounds’ Holy Family Orphans Program, and the Honolulu Marathon. This year, the airline embarked on its most recent collaboration with the University of Hawaii, Shidler College of Business. JAL will continue to serve as a bridge between Hawaii and Japan and focus on realizing a sustainable future promoting initiatives addressing Hawaii’s environment, communities, and people in addition to its core business of providing air transportation.

Japan Airlines’ 67 years of dedicated service to the State of Hawaii has helped make it the leading overseas tourist destination from Japan. Going forward, JAL will continue to create new value and overcome whatever challenges may be ahead.