In celebration of Honolulu Community College’s 100th anniversary, the college is launching an effort to raise $100,000 by December 31, 2020. In addition, it will be offering free community webinars addressing Hawaiʻi’s needs during the pandemic.
To encourage additional support, two long-time supporters of the campus, Ritchie Mudd (founder and former chief executive officer of RSI Roofing & Building Supply) and the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters, are offering a matching gift challenge. They will provide a one-to-one match for the first $30,000 in gifts made to Honolulu CC.
“We are extremely grateful for all our Honolulu CC donors, especially Ritchie and the Carpenter’s Union, for their unwavering support of our programs and students during this challenging period,” said Honolulu CC Interim Chancellor Karen C. Lee. “Due to the pandemic, we have had to cancel our biennial Celebrate! event that honors our alumni and community partners and raises funds for student scholarships. Undeterred, we are instead excited to announce the launch of the $100,000 fundraising effort and free program-related community webinars.”
The series of free, online webinars will feature community leaders discussing the impact of COVID-19 in their industry. Topics are based on academic programs offered at Honolulu CC. The first Community Connections webinar is scheduled for Monday, October 26 at 1 p.m. via Zoom and will feature leaders in the early childhood education field. The second webinar is scheduled for Thursday, November 12 at 1 p.m. and will include panelists discussing the construction trades industry. Register for a webinar.
Lee said, “In honor of reaching this momentous 100-year milestone as the oldest community college in the state, we hope you will be able to participate in one or all of our free webinars and consider making a gift to support innovative projects that enrich the educational experience of our students.”
Over the past 100 years, Honolulu CC has transformed thousands of lives by awarding tens of thousands of degrees and certificates and by offering a vast array of non-credit and apprenticeship courses. Through it all, its mission to provide accessible and high-quality educational and training opportunities to current and future generations of Hawaiʻi is unwavering.
Founded in 1920, Honolulu CC is the oldest community college in Hawaiʻi with a strong liberal arts program enabling students to seamlessly transfer to a four-year university, plus more than 20 career and technical education programs in a wide-range of in-demand fields. The college also offers a number of non-credit programs, including the Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training, and hosts the largest apprenticeship program in the state.
