City Honors Area Elders For Community Service

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Tong Hwan Yi (far left) and Yoshio ‘Rusty’ Nakagawa (third from left) receive their awards for outstanding service to their communities last month at the Mayor’s Senior Recognition Program. Photo from May Fujii Foo.

Two Central Oahu residents received high honors last month at the Mayor’s Senior Recognition Program ceremony, held at the Hawaii Convention Center to thank 79 of Oahu’s elders for their exceptional volunteer service.

Tong Hwan Yi, 81, a member of the Mililani Lions and Mililani Golden Years clubs, was named Outstanding Male Senior Citizen of 2010. Nominated by the SagePLUS Program, Yi also assists at Kalihi Palama Immigrant Service Center, Lanakila Meals On Wheels and Muu Gung Hwa Korean Senior Citizen Association.

Yoshio “Rusty"Nakagawa, 81, accepted the Platinum Akamai Living Award for his work in Wahiawa. Nominated by Wahiawa Rainbow Seniors, Nakagawa is project coordinator for Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission’s cooperative with Project Dana and has served as president of the Rainbow club.

The 44th annual recognition program was sponsored by the city’s Committee on Aging and its Elderly Affairs Division. This year’s theme,“Healthy Living by Sharing Aloha,” recognized that volunteering benefits one’s health and well-being, while providing a tremendous service to the community.