Maui Nominations Sought for 2018 Outstanding Older American Awards

Maui residents Cornelis Feenstra and Yaemi Yogi were recognized as the winners of the 2017 Outstanding Older Americans awards.

The Maui County Office on Aging is seeking nominations for Maui County’s 50th Annual Outstanding Older American Male and Female of Maui County. The awards program is held each May in conjunction with Older Americans Month to recognize elders across the nation for their extraordinary efforts and contributions to society.

Nominees for the awards must be 65 years of age or older and a resident of Maui County. Any individual, club or organization may nominate candidates for the award. Previous winners are not eligible for nomination.

Nomination forms are available by calling (808) 270-7755, online, or by emailing mcoa.adrc@mauicounty.org. The deadline to return completed nomination forms is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, 2017 to the J. Walter Cameron Center, Attn: OOA Committee, 95 Mahalani St., Room 20, Wailuku, HI 96793. Completed forms may also be faxed to (808) 270-7935 or emailed to mcoa.adrc@mauicounty.gov.

The awards will be presented at a luncheon on Thursday, May 10, 2017 at the Kīhei Community Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The annual awards program recognizes older Americans for their contributions and provides them with information to help them stay healthy and active. This year, the national theme is “Engage at Every Age.”

This year’s theme emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It also celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in our communities. Examples of engaging at every age, could mean sharing your wisdom and experience with the next generation, participating in activities that promote your mental and physical wellness, or even seeking the mentorship of someone with more life experience than you. We hope you will celebrate this year’s theme with us and your peers in Maui County as well as nation-wide.

Older adults in Maui County have been celebrated for their contributions and achievements every year since 1968. Wendell Crockett was the first Maui County recipient of the prestigious award that very year; last year’s awardees were Cornelis Feenstra of Kīhei and Yaemi Yogi of Kahului. To date, 97 older adult volunteers have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to Maui County.

For more information about the program call the Maui County Office on Aging at 270-7755 or email mcoa.adrc@mauicounty.gov. Media questions about this press release can be addressed to Ailina Tagupa-Laborte at 270-7908.