GYMTASTIC!
Valley Isle Gymnastics will host their eighth annual Cartwheel Festival on Sept. 10 in honor of National Gymnastics Day and has named the Special Olympics Maui as their beneficiary. Owner Rusty Gage says they wish to make an immediate impact on the island.
“With so many young people coming from all over the island to participate, and with so much generous support from local businesses through the accompanying Silent Auction, the Annual Cartwheel Festivals have raised over $30,000 for local special athletes,” says Gage. “If we meet our annual goal of $5,000, we’ll tip the 35,000-total-dollars-raised mark.”
Gymnasts and non-gymnasts are encouraged to get into the fun. Youth aged four to 18 are invited to team up with millions of other kids across the country to participate in this year’s celebration, which begins at 10am on Saturday. Participating athletes can secure pledges from all over the world for the number of cartwheels they will perform at the festival, either as flat donations or as a specific amount per cartwheel. Athletes will then have until Sept. 24 to collect their pledge money and turn it in to the Valley Isle Gymnastics office. Athletes who have not yet mastered a cartwheel will be able to participate by jumping on the Power Trak trampoline.
National Gymnastics Day is recognized by gyms and athletes across the nation as a single day designated by USA Gymnastics to celebrate the sport through various events and fund-raising. USA Gymnastics is the governing body for quality gymnastics centers across the country. On Sept. 17 they will be working with participating gyms across the nation to break the world record for most handstands done at one time.
“We are thrilled to host this special day again,” says Gage. “This is a great way for Maui’s youth to not only have a lot of fun, but also meet and participate with the beneficiaries of their efforts.”
Interested athletes may contact Valley Isle Gymnastics at 871-6116 or visit their website at www.valleyislegymnastics.com to learn more about the event. Pledge forms may be downloaded from the website or be picked up at the gymnastics center, located at 250 Alamaha St., Suite N8 in Kahului.
Companies interested in donating to the Annual Cartwheel Festival’s Silent Auction may phone the gym at 871-6116. The gym can accept donations from 9am to 6:30pm, Monday through Friday. Donations may also be emailed to info@valleyislegymnastics.com or faxed to the gym at 877-7006.
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SHANE VICTORINO FOUNDATION SCORES
The Shane Victorino Foundation raised more than $325,000 last week at their second annual all-star celebrity fashion show. The event was presented by Saks Fifth Avenue and Caesars Atlantic City at the Union League of Philadelphia and attended by about 500 people, including Victorino and his wife Melissa. The Shane Victorino Foundation was founded in 2010 to promote opportunities for underserved youth in Philadelphia and Hawaii.
“Thanks to our sponsors, friends and supporters, we were thrilled to host our second annual Celebrity Fashion Show at the historic Union League,” says Victorino, a Maui boy who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. “It was a very special evening and we’re overwhelmed that we raised more than $325,000 for our Foundation. Melissa and I are thankful to my teammates and to all who made Thursday night possible, especially Saks Fifth Avenue and Caesars Atlantic City.”
During the program, the Victorinos received a special plaque from children of the Nicetown Boys & Girls Club, a facility that the foundation pledged close to $1 million to renovate. It will re-open on Sept. 22 as the Shane Victorino Nicetown Boys & Girls Club. Additionally, the Victorinos presented Jamie and Karen Moyer with the inaugural “Harry Kalas Strong Voice in the Community Award” for their continued dedication to serving children in the Philadelphia area.
Auction items included autographed Phillies’ All-Star jerseys, a trip for two to Maui with accommodations at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, an 18kt diamond caviar necklace and hoop earrings from the LAGOS Embrace Collection by Steven Lagos, a personal meet-and-greet with Celine Dion at Caesars Las Vegas, New York Fashion Week tickets to the Marc Jacobs show and a private dinner for 12 with Victorino at LeBec Fin with Chef George Perrier.
“The Fashion Show is one of the Foundation’s most exciting and beneficial events to present and we are thankful to Shane’s teammates, Saks Fifth Avenue, Caesars Atlantic City and everyone who helped us make year two an even greater success than our inaugural event,” says Melissa Victorino. “We are excited to continue to grow this event each year.”
Presenting sponsors for the event included Saks Fifth Avenue and Caesars Atlantic City. Other major supporters included Abbie Friedman Family Foundation, Tube Methods, LAGOS, D&J Electronics, OfficeMax, Moet & Chandon, Loews Hotel of Philadelphia and Winner Ford.
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TAKE THIS TO THE BANK
American Savings Bank (ASB) recently celebrated the grand opening of a new Kihei branch at the Piilani Village Shopping Center, in a space formerly occupied by Nevada Bob’s Golf. “The new location will provide more space for our customers to enjoy ASB’s signature service and allow them to better access our wide range of business and consumer banking products,” said Kaulana Park, Director of the bank’s Community and Business Development. “This new branch replaces the former ASB branch at the Kihei Longs [center].”
Joining the festivities were ASB President & CEO Rich Wacker, the Kihei branch management team, local dignitaries, community leaders and customers. A maile lei cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the branch and Kahu Robert Nelson was on hand to provide a traditional Hawaiian blessing.
“American Savings Bank is committed to making banking in Hawaii as convenient as possible for our customers,” said Rich Wacker, American Savings Bank President & Chief Executive Officer. “We our proud to be a part of this community and believe this new location will be an even better environment for our customers and allow our Kihei branch team to provide the excellent service they expect.”
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