Donated aloha shirts, forever lei, playing cards, and other care package items will be collected by Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens Thursday, July 4, from 7 to 11 a.m. in Lili`uokalani Gardens at the Salute to Veterans fun run.
Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens will join the Salute to Veterans on Thursday, July 4, from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. During the annual Hilo Bay 5 K sponsored by VFW Post 3830, Friends will accept donations of new or gently used Hawaiian shirts and care package items. These will be sent to the Hawaiian Shirts for Deployed Soldiers non-profit effort that already has sent more than 13,000 shirts in the two years since the mission started.
This is how Gwen Pollard ships out weekly. In two years, the non-profit mission “Hawaiian Shirts for Deployed Soldiers” has sent more than 13,000 shirts.
Any size, men’s or women’s shirt, clean and in good condition will get a thank you note in the pocket and be “Army rolled” for packaging.
Other items of interest to this effort are: thank you notes, packing tape, lip balm, playing cards, forever lei, non-perishable snacks such as macadamia nuts or trail mix, party supplies.
Thank you notes will be available to sign and slip in the pocket of each donated shirt.
If you are unable to deliver your donation to Friends on Lili`uokalani Gardens on Thursday, July 4, from 7 to 11 a.m. then please mail directly to: Hawaiian Shirts for Deployed Soldiers, attn: Gwen Pollard, 217 High Ridge Court, Easley SC 29642.
UPDATE: On July 5, 11 Priority Mail boxes were sent containing 88 shirts, 34 lei, several decks of playing cards, copies of Ke Ola magazine, and packages of macadamia nuts. Another box of freshly laundered shirts was mailed July 6 bringing the donation total from this effort to 94 shirts.
For more information on Friends of Lili`uokalani Gardens and future calendar events, please see the July 2019 newsletter.
U.S. Japanese Gardens 