Members of the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation, their guests and residents of Kuakini Home gathered at Hale Pulama Mau auditorium on May 17 for JWSF’s 20th “Adopt-A-Mom” program. The event is held on the third Sunday of May (the Sunday after Mother’s Day) to allow residents who do not have any children or who do not have any children living nearby to still have a Mother’s Day celebration.
The day’s events began with JWSF members getting acquainted with their “mom” for the day before introducing them to the rest of the group. Lunch was a meal of homemade Japanese dishes prepared by JWSF members.
For the last few years, event organizer Lillian Yajima has been lobbying both state and city leaders to make Adopt-A-Mom day a recognized state holiday. The resolution recently passed both houses of the Legislature. Beginning in 2016, the third Sunday in May will be designated as “Adopt-A-Mom” Day on the official state calendar.
Special guests at the event included Gov. David Ige and first lady Dawn Amano-Ige; Misty Kela‘i, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Culture & the Arts; Consul General Toyoei Shigeeda; Michelle Yu of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Consul General Gina Jamoralin of the Consulate General of the Philippines; Annelle Amaral, president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; 2015 May Day Queen Pomai Akiona; Kuakini Health Systems president Gary Kajiwara; state Sen. Gil Riviere and the 63rd Cherry Blossom Festival court.
Multicultural entertainment included Tahitian dancing by Halau O ‘Iolani, taiko drumming by the CBF court and Kenny and Chizuko Endo, hula by the JWSF Hula Aloha Ladies, a Chinese lion dance by the Young Dak Lion Dancing Association and Filipino dance by the Juta Montadena dance group.
