Bank donates $129K of unused Hawaiʻi Restaurant Card funds to three nonprofits

American Savings Bank is donating $129,000 in unused funds from the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Card Business Holiday Card program to three local nonprofits.

The Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Hawaiʻi Agricultural Foundation and Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association Educational Foundation – will each receive $43,000 as part of ASB’s efforts to help Hawaiʻi’s local restaurant and food supply chain industry, two industries that were greatly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The Hawaiʻi Restaurant Card Business Holiday Card program gave companies the opportunity to reward their employees and partners with pre-paid holiday gift cards that could be used to support the local restaurant and supply chain industry,” said John Ward, executive vice president, chief marketing and product officer at ASB. “On behalf of American Savings Bank, we want to thank all the businesses, organizations and entities that showed their unwavering support to help rebuild our economy.”

ASB decided to bring back the HRC Business Holiday Card program in November 2021 as a way to support local eateries that were hit hard during the pandemic. The initial program was first launched in 2020, in collaboration with the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association and Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi, as part of the state’s Economic Relief Program.

With the help of 203 businesses and organizations in Hawaiʻi that purchased HRC Business Holiday Cards, more than $750,000 was injected into the local restaurant and food supply chain industry.

The cards expired on June 30 and ASB is donating all unused dollars on the cards to the three selected nonprofits.

“This program has brought immense support to the state’s restaurant and food supply chain industries,” said Sheryl Matsuoka, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association. “Thanks to the generosity of our local businesses – and to ASB for once again leading the charge – we were able to help many of our favorite eateries during a time when they needed it most.”