Hawaiian Electric – Maui County Recognized For Adopt-A-Highway Program

Hawaiian Electric – Maui County volunteers pick up trash along the highway in 2018, one of numerous Adopt-A-Highway cleanups by the company since the early 1990s. PC: Hawaiian Electric.

Hawaiian Electric – Maui County has received the No Ka Oi Highway Hui award in recognition of its sustained and exemplary commitment to the State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Transportation, Highways Division – Maui District’s (HWY-M) Adopt-A-Highway Program.

Presented by HWY-M, the No Ka Oi Highway Hui recognition award celebrates groups that have continually met and/or exceeded the requirements of the Adopt-A-Highway program.

“Hawaiian Electric – Maui County has been a very dedicated community partner in Adopt-A-Highway for well over 25 years,” said Ty Fukuroku, program manager, HWY-M Environmental Management. “Four or more times a year, they’ve mobilized anywhere from 20 to 100 participants to pick up trash along the highway, removing as many as 70 bags of rubbish each time. They’ve made a phenomenal contribution to keeping our environment on Maui cleaner and safer. We’re pleased to recognize their tremendous commitment.”

Fukuroku added that Adopt-A-Highway volunteers do more than just beautify the highways by removing unsightly litter; they also prevent trash from blowing into and polluting Maui’s streams and ocean. HWY-M works with community members on an ongoing basis to protect water quality and keep pollutants from entering Maui’s stormwater and ocean environment.

“Thank you to the Department of Transportation, Highways Division – Maui District for facilitating such an important community program to help keep our roadways, streams and oceans clean on Maui,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Hawaiian Electric’s Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities. “Our employees look forward to this activity, volunteering their time on Saturdays to take care of our adopted stretch of Puʻunēnē Avenue.”

Adopt-A-Highway is a public service program that recruits volunteers to help pick up litter along Hawaii’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.