Volunteers from the Pearl City Lions Club, Aiea Lions Club and Mana Loa-Nimitz Lions Club came together to help plant two Kou trees at Rainbow Bay Park (Onishi Pavilion) in Aiea on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.
The trees were planted to honor the memory and contributions that Lion Shizuo Onishi made to the community as the Hawaii Lions Eye Foundation Founding President, Aiea Lions Charter Member, Lions District 50 Governor, and Lions International Director. Shizuo Onishi passed away in 2001.
Mrs. Umeno Onishi (wife), daughter Charlotte Murakami and husband Arthur Murakami attending the special tree planting ceremony on Tuesday. The Rainbow Bay Park / Onishi Pavilion sits in a former fishing village and the very same spot that Shizuo Onishi grew up as the son of a fisherman along the Pearl Harbor shore in Aiea in the early 1920' and 30's.
Rainbow Park/Shizuo Onishi Pavilion was built and paid for a few years ago by hard working and dedicated Lion's District 50 club volunteers. "We paid for the pavilion out of our own pockets," said Aiea Lions Club Board Member, Wendell Hosea. "We raised money from a lot of different fundraisers within our own clubs. We have five clubs in this area."
State Parks Administrator Dan Quinn joined the Lions club community volunteers and the Onishi family to thank them for their service and commitment to the Rainbow Bay Park (Onishi Pavilion). "In all my experience with state parks, I don't think any group has taken a project from the ground all the way up to the extreme that the Lions did for this," said Quinn.
State Representative K. Mark Takai (Aiea / Pearl City) also joined the volunteers to help plant the two Kou trees. Representative Takai generously provided lunch and refreshments for all of the volunteers.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Umeno Onishi (center) wife of the late Shizuo Onishi, pictured with daughter Charlotte Murakami and husband Arthur Murakami on Tuesday during the tree planting ceremony at the Rainbow Bay Park (Onishi Pavilion) Aiea.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Wendell Hosea, Aiea Lions Club (left), Vaughn Miyauchi, Pearl City Lions Club (center) and State Representative K. Mark Takai, Aiea/Pearl City (right) pictured planting the second of two Kou trees.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Mana Loa-Nimitz Lions Club members Jits Fujimura (left) and Barry Villamil (center, holding Mikela), pictured with current club President Warren Hiromoto during the tree planting ceremony at Rainbow Bay Park (Onishi Pavilion) in Aiea.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Vaughn Miyauchi from the Pearl City Lions Club pictured setting one of the Kou trees in place.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
State Parks Administrator Dan Quinn was on hand to to thank the community volunteers for their service to the Rainbow Bay Park (Onishi Pavilion) area in Aiea.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Newly planted Kou tree. Ready to thrive!
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]