HONOLULU – Former University of Hawai'i football player Kelly McGill is the recipient of the 2022 Kāne Fernandez Award, presented by the UH Letterwinners Club.
 
McGill received his award during halftime of the men's basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 11 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
McGill was a starting offensive lineman for the 1992 WAC and Holiday Bowl Champion Football Team. The team celebrated its 30^th Anniversary last year with a fun-filled reunion weekend of events coordinated by McGill and a few of his teammates. The highlight was the on-field recognition of the 1992 team during the football game and the presentation of a three foot Kī'i (tiki statue), which was specially carved and blessed, to this year's football team from the 1992 team.
 
McGill is the owner-operator of Tiki's Grill and Bar which celebrated its 20^th anniversary last year as well. His anniversary celebration raised over $16,000 for the Hawai'i Food Bank and the planting of 28 trees for the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.
Together with his wife, Thao, McGill also owns PTTN Water who donated 1,000 5-litre bags of purified alkaline water which was distributed to 220 homes and two schools in the Red Hill area following the water contamination crises, as well as provided over 200 Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless last year.
 
The UHLWC presents the award annually to a past letterwinner who has volunteered unselfishly to further advance the community. The award is named for the late Kāne Fernandez, chairman and chief executive office of Fernandez Entertainment, who passed away in 2001 and is one of the original members of the UHLWC.
 
The UH Letterwinners Club is comprised of former student-athletes of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.