Nomination Deadline for Outstanding Older Americans is April 10

Outstanding Older American winners from last year were Fred Ruge and Kanee Wright Photo courtesy: County of Maui/Ryan Piros.

By Maui Now Staff

Maui County’s Office on Aging is seeking nominations for 47th Annual Outstanding Older American Male and Female of Maui County honorees.

The awards will be presented at a luncheon at the Maui Beach Hotel’s Elleair Rainbow Ballroom on Friday, May 15, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nominees must be Maui County residents who are 65 years of age or older. Any individual, club or organization is eligible to nominate candidates for the award. (Previous winners are not eligible for nomination.)

Nomination forms are available online, via email or by calling 270-7755.

The deadline to return completed nomination forms is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2015. Deliver or mail completed forms to: J. Walter Cameron Center, 95 Mahalani St., Room 20, Wailuku, HI 96793. Completed forms may also be faxed to 270-7935 or emailed.

Since 1968, older adults in Maui County have been celebrated for their contributions and achievements each year. The event coincides with the national recognition of Older Americans Month which honors older Americans for their significant contributions to communities across the nation.

This year, the theme, “Get Into the Act,” was chosen by the US Administration for Community Living to give national focus on injury prevention.

“Older Americans Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of community engagement as a tool for enhancing the wellbeing of older adults,” said Deborah Stone-Walls, Maui County’s executive on aging. “Now is the time to ‘Get Into the Act’ to make the benefits of community living a reality for older Americans. Together we can promote healthy aging, increase community involvement for older adults and tackle important issues like the prevention of elder abuse.”

In 1968, Wendell Crockett was the first Maui County recipient of the Outstanding Older Americans. Last year’s awardees were Fred Ruge of Wailuku and Kanee Wright of Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi. Ninty-one older adult volunteers have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to Maui County to date.