Diane Ako
Del.icio.us
Diane Ako
Life has gotten pretty darn exciting lately for KHNL 8 weekend anchor Diane Ako. The mom-to-be is due June 3, and she and KHNL photographer Tim McRobert are up for an emmy award.
Ako and husband Claus Hansen are excited to bring their baby girl (whose name will be Olivia, by the way) into the world in about six weeks. This is the couple’s first child, and Ako says she feels nervous, excited and scared all at once.
“I am all of the above. For any first-time parent who is having a child, you’re excited, you’re worried if you have what it takes. I’m worried about not getting 10 hours of sleep,” says the MidWeek cover girl from March 2001.
The Honolulu resident adds that she’s not the only one at KHNL who is expecting a new addition to the family. Paul Drewes, Ako’s co-anchor, and his wife are expecting a baby three weeks away from Ako.
“Another reporter (besides Drewes) is also having a baby,” she says. “There’s all these people having kids at work.”
Ako’s friends, family and co-workers hosted a shower for the 30-year-old on April 13 at Jackie’s Kitchen. Ako is pictured above with Hansen at the shower.
“It was really nice. The baby’s godmother, a good friend, and Mona (Wood) helped throw it. It totally blew me away,” she says.
When she’s not thinking about little Olivia, lately Ako is feeling good about her Emmy nomination from the 36th annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards. The award nomination is for a special she and McRobert put together called Mission of Aloha: Philippine Relief. The two traveled to the Philippines in March 2006 with doctors from the non-profit Aloha Medical Mission. Ako and McRobert covered the doctors’volunteer efforts as they offered assistance following a killer landslide. It was aired on KHNL that same month as a telethon to raise money for the AMM.
“It’s probably old hat for some of my colleagues. This is new to me, I was thrilled to me nominated,” she says.
The awards ceremony happens May 12 in San Francisco. Ako won’t be attending, but is keeping her fingers crossed for a win.
Also since appearing on MidWeek’s cover, Ako got married in November 2001 and graduated with a master’s degree in political science from UH Manoa in 2004.
“As an offshoot of my interest in political science, I joined Friends of the East West Center (as a volunteer),” she reveals, adding that she now also volunteers with the AMM. Ako has done event planning for the Friends of the East West Center, and for the AMM she is on the fundraising committee.
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