Turtle Bay Foundation Gives More Than $172,000 to Enrich North Shore and Ko‘olauloa Communities
More than 150 nonprofit organizations and individuals awarded grants and scholarships
KAHUKU, Hawai‘i, December 12 – Turtle Bay Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Turtle Bay Resort, awarded $172,450 in grants and scholarships to individuals and organizations striving to make a difference in the North Shore and Ko‘olauloa communities on Wednesday night.
“We are thrilled to give back to the exceptional individuals and organizations who make the North Shore a rich, vibrant community,” said Jerry Gibson, vice president of Turtle Bay Resort. “Each honoree was carefully chosen for their outstanding service and leadership, and we look forward to seeing all that they accomplish in the coming year.”
At its seventh annual awards dinner, Turtle Bay Foundation presented 104 grants to dedicated nonprofits focusing in the areas of education, healthcare, cultural preservation, sports, and recreation. The Kahuku Foundation, also known as the Ko‘olauloa Health & Wellness Center, was awarded a $5,000 grant.
“Thanks to the generous support of the Turtle Bay Foundation, we are excited to continue improving our Ko‘olauloa community by addressing important health and wellness issues,” said Stephany Vaioleti, a director of the Kahuku Foundation.
The Turtle Bay Foundation also takes special pride in awarding scholarships to support the pursuit of higher education, and this year, presented scholarships to 52 remarkable students. Educational scholarships are awarded based on a combination of criteria, including academic performance, financial need, extracurricular activities, and community involvement.
These scholarships give outstanding students like Cassandra Miller the ability to pursue her greatest potential as an advocate for better schools for our underserved communities. The $2,000 scholarship enables Miller to focus on her studies, as she balances her career as a full-time math and special-education teacher at Hau'ula Elementary School with her duties as a mother of five.
“Education is the foundation of a strong and resilient community,” said Cassandra Miller, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. “I am truly grateful for Turtle Bay Foundation’s support, which empowers me to better myself so I can best serve and give back to my community.”
For more information on the Turtle Bay Foundation as well as the types of grants and scholarships that are available, please visit our newly launched website at turtlebayfoundation.org.
About Turtle Bay Foundation:
Turtle Bay Foundation is dedicated to enriching the communities of O‘ahu’s North Shore and Ko‘olauloa region. To fulfill its mission of making one of the world's last great places even better, the Foundation provides education scholarships for deserving youth, job training opportunities for adults, and grants for environmental stewardship, historic and cultural preservation, healthy living through sports and recreation, and health care programs for aging residents, homeless, and substance abuse recovery.
About Turtle Bay Resort
Turtle Bay Resort is the only destination resort on O‘ahu’s historic North Shore – mecca of the surfing world. Situated on nearly 1,300 acres, it offers outdoor enthusiasts four and a half miles of beach and 12 miles of oceanfront hiking trails to enjoy and explore. This is in addition to 36 holes of championship golf and a wide array of adventure, ocean, and land activities. All 452 guestrooms and suites offer ocean views, and there are seven restaurants and bars to enjoy the cuisine, view, and ambiance of Hawai‘i.