In 2014, Elaine Flores joined the Dr. Rosita Leong Mini-Medical School on Healthy Aging, benefiting from its tips on wellness and body knowledge. She shared the lessons with her husband, Eddie Flores, founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.
“She gave me all the tips, so that’s why I’m so healthy,” Eddie joked.
The Mini-Medical School, based at the University of Hawaiʻiat Mānoaʻs John A. Burns School of Medicine, was founded by UH Mānoa Chancellor Emeritus Virginia Hinshaw and Rosita Leong. The program celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2023, and has been providing crucial education on healthy aging for
Hawaiʻi’s aging population, which boasts the longest life expectancy in the U.S.
To support the school’s mission, the Flores family donated $100,000 to establish an endowment. Kamal Masaki, the current director of the program and chair of the Department of Geriatric Medicine, expressed her gratitude, noting the importance of maintaining healthy aging resources for
Hawaiʻi‘s residents.
“We want to make sure that the Mini-Medical School goes on in perpetuity,” she said.
The Flores family hopes their donation encourages more people to attend the program. Eddie, a proud UH graduate, said the program meant a lot to them.
“Elaine and I are honored to make this donation. The Mini-Medical School is a tremendous asset to the community, and we are proud to support it.”
Now retired from L&L, Eddie and Elaine enjoy traveling, volunteering and spending time with family. They recognize the importance of staying healthy, especially as grandparents. Eddie, of Filipino-Chinese heritage, emphasized that programs like the Mini-Med School are vital for reaching underrepresented groups and helping more people maintain good health.
The Mini-Medical School offers two sessions annually, one in spring and one in fall, providing participants with expert knowledge on aging and health. Its next hybrid session begins on September 28.
