In the special, Kahanamoku: A Legacy of Healing, veteran Hawaiʻi producer Emme Tomimbang tells the story of the inspirational Kahanamoku scholars from the John A. Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as well as the story of Nadine Kahanamoku, the widow of legendary surfer and Olympic gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku.
The hour long program will be broadcast exclusively on Hawaii News Now on KGMB on Monday, August 24 at 9 p.m. and will be rebroadcasted on a Saturday, August 29 at 6 p.m. The August 24 broadcast will be preceded by Duke Kahanamoku: Hawaiʻi’s Soul at 8 p.m.
The Kahanamoku legacy of healing
Upon her death in 1997, Nadine Kahanamoku donated their entire estate to the John A. Burns School of Medicine to be used for scholarships awarded to medical students of Hawaiian ancestry. Since then, there have been more than 80 Kahanamoku scholars, each with his or her own story; each, in his or her own way, perpetuating the Kahanamoku legacy of healing.
Tomimbang and her team traveled statewide to visit with island physicians in their communities on Kauaʻi, Maui and the Big Island. Haku Kahoano, also a Kahanamoku Scholar, will serve as co-host with Tomimbang.
“Through the couple’s single act of kindness, there is a single pebble in the pond, causing a ripple effect that changes the communities and the thousands of lives touched by this legacy of healing,” said Tomimbang, president of EMME Inc. “It is a legacy of healing, a legacy of opportunity for medical scholars of Hawaiian ancestry and the communities they come to serve,” she added.
“We’re once again extraordinarily proud to be honoring the legacy of Duke Kahanamoku and his countless contributions to Hawaiʻi by broadcasting this remarkable special production,” said Rick Blangiardi, General Manager of Hawaiʻi News Now.
Read the John A. Burns School of Medicine story for more about the special.
