HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Athletics Department presented the 2012 Charlie Ushijima Award to Kathy Carey and Wes Yonamine, Nov. 24, during the UH-UNLV football game at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.
 
The award honors an outstanding volunteer who has given his/her time to help further the athletics programs. Originally entitled the Rainbow Service Award, this award is named after its first recipient, the late Charlie Ushijima who was responsible for the building of our first on-campus baseball stadium in addition to countless hours of volunteer work as President of the UH booster club for baseball.
 
 “Kathy has faithfully served the women's soccer program since 1992 and spends countless hours per week organizing travel, managing equipment ordering and maintenance, booster club issues and budgeting,” said Michele Nagamine, head women's soccer coach. “She works hard every day, always has a smile on her face and we would not be the same program without her!”
 
“Wes has been an incredible help to Rainbow Baseball for over a decade,” said Mike Trapasso, head baseball coach. “Wes is the point man for Duane Kurisu's Grand Slam Club Cooking Crew. A group that is amazing in their support of our players. During every season, Wes organizes and prepares our post-game meals in our upstairs Grand Slam Clubhouse. It's become a tradition in the spring that we all look forward to. It's even become a big recruiting tool!
 
“Wes also organizes and supervises our annual Youth League Tournament every November. We bring in up to 20 youth teams to play a weekend tournament at Les Murakami Stadium. Our players umpire, we have the games on ESPN 1420, and it's become another great tradition....and it couldn't happen without Wes. Wes does all these things for our program and it's all on a volunteer basis. He gets no compensation. He does it because he's a UH fan, a baseball fan, and a good friend.”
 
“On behalf of UH Athletics, we thank Kathy and Wes for their commitment and dedication to our programs and student-athletes,” Acting Athletics Director Rockne Freitas said. “Their tireless efforts enable us to compete and win both in the classroom and on the field of play. Mahalo nui loa.”