HONOLULU, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/
Olympic gold medalists Joe Polo and Tyler George gave Hawaii residents a taste of professional curling at the American Savings Bank (ASB) Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic last week in Honolulu, Hawaii. The event, which took place at the Ice Palace – Hawaii's only ice rink – has been held for the past six years to introduce locals to the popular winter sport while raising funds for a local nonprofit organization.
"At ASB, we love giving back and having fun while doing so," said Rich Wacker, President and CEO. "With the help of these incredible Olympic gold medalists, the 2018 Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic raised a total of $100,000 for Kahauiki Village, an organization committed to helping local homeless families."
At the event, the Olympic gold medalists taught guests the basics of curling, such as how to sweep the surface and deliver the 42-pound curling granite stones across the ice. A total of 20 teams of curlers representing companies across the state participated in the bonspiel (tournament), featuring bagpiper music and an Olympics-inspired medal ceremony.
"We love to curl around the world, but curling in Hawaii is especially unique given the warm, tropical environment," said Joe Polo, 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist, Team USA Mens Curling. "It's an honor to curl in the Aloha State and support the positive impact that Kahauiki Village has on so many families in need."
100 percent of the proceeds from the Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic will benefit Kahauiki Village, an organization that provides homeless families with long-term affordable housing in a plantation-style community. Kahauiki Village currently houses 30 working families in affordable homes. The funds raised will specifically support the next phase of the project: building 114 homes in the spring of 2019. Since the first Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic in 2013, ASB has raised more than $500,000 for various local nonprofits.
"ASB's Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic is – by far – the most creative fundraiser we have been a part of to date," said Duane Kurisu, Founder of Kahauiki Village. "We are grateful to ASB, the Olympic gold medalists and the participating companies for their support, which will help us to effectively address Hawaii's affordable housing and homelessness crisis."
As part of the Hawaii Curling Club Charity Classic, ASB offers local students a special opportunity to meet the Olympians and learn how to curl. This year, ASB shared the talents of the Olympic gold medalists with Mililani Waena Elementary School, a Bank for Education 'Ohana School that placed first in the bank's KeikiCo Business Plan Competition in 2017. In addition to a school assembly, the Olympic gold medalists taught schoolchildren how to curl at a Kids Curling Clinic at the Ice Palace.
For more information about the Hawaii Curling Club, visit https://www.asbhawaii.com/curling.
About American Savings Bank
American Savings Bank (ASB) has been serving Hawaii's businesses and communities since 1925 and currently provides a full range of financial products and services, including business and consumer banking, home loans, insurance and investments. ASB is one of Hawaii's leading financial institutions, with e-banking services and branch locations throughout the state offering evening, weekend and holiday hours. ASB provides Hawaii's consumers and businesses with more extended weekday and weekend hours than other similarly sized local banks, as well as convenient in-store branches. ASB was the first Hawaii bank to introduce remote-deposit capture with a mobile banking application.
ASB matches its exceptional customer experience with an employee experience that has garnered local and national awards. ASB has been recognized locally as one of the "Best Places to Work" by Hawaii Business Magazine for nine consecutive years and honored nationally as one of the "Best Banks to Work For" by American Banker Magazine. Fortune Magazine has recognized ASB as one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women and 50 Best Workplaces for Diversity. For more than 90 years, ASB has been helping build strong communities. Through its Seeds of Service program, ASB teammates have contributed more than 36,000 hours of volunteer service, and ASB has donated millions of dollars to Hawaii's nonprofits and community organizations. For more information, visit https://www.asbhawaii.com/ or follow American Savings Bank on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Anj Lum, American Savings Bank, 808-539-7907, alum@asbhawaii.com
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SOURCE American Savings Bank
