Bank of Hawaii makes $150,000 leadership gift to support ʻImiloa Astronomy Center

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Contact:
Gloria Chun Hoo, (808) 969-9705
Marketing and PR Manager
Posted: May 23, 2007

HILO, Hawaii - The ʻImiloa Astronomy Center has re-named its Museum Store the Bank of Hawaii Museum Store to recognize a generous, leadership gift of $150,000 from the Bank of Hawaii Charitable Foundation.

Announcement of the unrestricted gift to support the Center's educational mission, and the unveiling of the new plaque in the ʻImiloa atrium recognizing the gift, was made at a reception at the Center on Friday, April 27, attended by over 120 community and business leaders.

"The Bank of Hawaii and its Charitable Foundation are committed to education and we're a hundred percent behind the Center's mission to help inspire and educate new generations of youth to pursue an interest in science," said Bank of Hawaii Chairman and CEO Al Landon.

"And, as a partner, we also appreciate the Center's role in enhancing the economy of the Big Island and the state," said Mr. Landon.

Donna Tanoue, Bank of Hawaii Vice Chairman and President of its Charitable Foundation, said that the bank was pleased to "support the Center's mission to bridge astronomy with the rich traditions of Hawaiian culture to inspire and educate."

This is a significant first major gift from Bank of Hawaii, noted ʻImiloa Executive Director Peter B. Giles, who said that ʻImiloa has just kicked off a new Business Partnership program to engage business support and engagement in the Center‟s educational mission. The gift presentation, a private affair, was followed the next day with a Bank of Hawaii Family Saturday at the Center, attracting over 550 visitors.

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center is open to the public Tuesdays through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the ʻImiloa CafĂ© is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Opened just over a year ago, ʻImiloa is noted for its stunning architecture, its state-of-the-art planetarium (the largest in the State), and exhibits which celebrate Hawaiian culture and Maunakea astronomy. It has a unique 3-D theater showcasing data from the Subaru Telescope about deep space, and a "Science on a Sphere" globe from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that enables viewers to see Earth and other planets "in-the-round."

The Center is located at 600 ʻImiloa Place in Hilo, on the UH-Hilo Science and Technology Park off Komohana Street, and Nowelo Street, and left onto Imiloa Place. For a map and directions, and more information about the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, visit www.imiloahawaii.org.

For more information, visit: http://www.imiloahawaii.org