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Celebrating ALS Awareness Month in Hawaii

Hawaii Recap (3)

The ALS Network is grateful to our ‘ohana on the islands for their continuing efforts to raise ALS awareness during ALS Awareness Month. Our ALS community in Hawai‘i gathered together throughout the month of May to raise ALS Awareness.

On May 16, 2024, Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green signed a proclamation recognizing May as ALS Awareness and ALS Families Appreciation Month. As a part of that event, Governor Green met with our ALS community in Hawai‘i, along with representatives of the ALS Network, ALS Foundation of Hawai‘i, and ALS Ohana. The ALS Network sends a big mahalo to Governor Green for his ongoing commitment to honoring and helping people living with ALS by raising ALS awareness.

In addition to the proclamation signed in the state of Hawai‘i, Hilo Mayor Mitch Roth and Maui Mayor Richard Bissen signed proclamations declaring May 2024 as ALS Awareness Month.

Recently, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, and his wife Lynne gifted a substantial donation of $150 million to two Hawaiʻi hospitals–Hilo Medical Center and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health–becoming one of the largest single private donations in Hawaiʻi history. In addition, the Benioff’s grant will bridge these two Hawaiʻi hospitals with UCSF Health in San Francisco to expand on providing specialized care in areas such as oncology and neurology. Hawaiʻi Governor Green was in attendance at an event for the public presentation of the gift, as were ALS Network Executive Vice President of Mission Advancement Cherryl Fluke and Board Member Caroline Landry.

Our ALS community in Hawaiʻi joined together for the Lei of Remembrance on Friday, May 24 in front of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in Honolulu. One flower to represent each person who has died from ALS in Hawaiʻi since 1998 was strung on to a lei, which was then hung on the Father Damien statue at the Capitol. The annual Lei of Remembrance memorial ceremony began with sign waving to raise awareness for the ALS community, then a short memorial ceremony to honor those who we have lost to ALS. The ALS Network is grateful to ALS Ohana and the ALS Foundation of Hawaiʻi for their ongoing collaboration on this event.


All of us at the ALS Network send a big mahalo to Governor Green, Mayor Mitch Roth, Mayor Richard Bissen, and the Benioff family for their support of the ALS community and our mission priorities.

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