Operation Vacation Hawaii- First Mission

The weekend of July 4th saw the successful launch of the first Operation Vacation Hawaii in North Kohala thanks to the efforts of Joe Vitorino of Hawaii Paso Finos, LLC.  The Dennard family of Schofield Barracks on Oahu enjoyed many of Kohala's outdoor activities and festivities, including the 2010 Kohala Reunion and Veteran's ceremony at Kamehameha Park. In the spirit of supporting our troops, this non-profit program was started in 2005 by Bob Johnson of Glenwood Springs, Co to provide free long weekend vacations to military soldiers who have recently returned from deployment of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Major Kerry Dennard has served 16 years on active duty in the U. S. Army, and was very appreciative to have some quality time to reconnect with his wife Amy, their son Ben and daughters Emily and Katie.  Amazed by the natural beauty of Kohala, the family was also overwhelmed by the aloha and generosity of our local community who welcomed them with open arms.  This would not have been possible without the support of many corporate and local sponsors.  We would like to say "Mahalo" to Hawaiian airlines, Alamo rental car, Sweetwater, LLC Halawa House, 'Iole, BIEA zipline, Kohala Coffee Mill, Nanbu Courtyard, Harbor Grill, Fig's Mix Plate, Pico's Bistro, Snack Shack, CSC Cafe, Kohala National Guard Alumni, and many other individual sponsors who provided funds for spending money.  We look forward to hosting more military families in Kohala in the future.  To read more about the Dennard's visit to Kohala, please see West Hawaii Today's article here: www.westhawaiitoday.com/articles/2010/07/04/local/local01.txt

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