Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center Recognized for Adopt-A-Highway Program

Apples Elaban-Manuwa, Office Manager, Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center, accepted the No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award on behalf of her fellow staff members. Photo courtesy of HWY-M.

The Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center, a long-time provider of health care on Maui, was honored last week for its efforts to care for the island’s environment.

The State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Transportation, Highways Division – Maui District’s (HWY-M) awarded the Nō Ka ʻOi Highway Hui Award to Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center in recognition of the center’s 14 years of notable volunteer work for the Adopt-A-Highway Program. The quarterly recognition program celebrates groups that have continually met and/or exceeded the requirements of the Adopt-A-Highway program.

“The Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center has a long-standing practice of giving back to the community, including volunteering their time to clean up a section along North Kīhei Road,” said Ty Fukuroku, Program Manager, HWY-M Environmental Management. “On average, they’ve organized 15 to 25 volunteers to pick up as many as 30 bags of rubbish at a time. That goes a long way toward reducing pollutants from entering the ocean and contaminating our environment. We’re pleased to recognize them for their dedication and commitment.”

The Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center first signed up for the Adopt-A-Highway Program in 2006. Its staff has taken exceptional care of their adopted portion of the roadway near the Ma`alaea mud flats and Kealia Pond ever since.

Adopt-A-Highway is a public service program that recruits volunteers to help pick up litter along Hawaiʻi’s state highways. Participants in the program agree to adopt a two-mile portion of a state highway for a minimum of two years, pick up litter on their section of the highway at least four times per year, and undergo safety training before each cleanup event.

For more information about Adopt-A-Highway, visit www.stormwatermaui.com.

The State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Transportation Highways Division – Maui District (HWY-M) works to manage state highways on Maui in accordance with its commitment to safeguard the environment and protect the health and safety of the community: residents, employees, and visitors. Among HWY-M’s responsibilities is the implementation of a comprehensive stormwater management plan to protect water quality and reduce the discharge of stormwater pollutants from the Central Maui area. For more information, visit www.stormwatermaui.com.