HONOLULU – Longtime University of Hawai'i supporter Joyce Lau has been named the recipient of the 2022 Charlie Ushijima Award, which is presented to an outstanding volunteer for dedicated and unselfish service to UH Athletics.
 
Lau will receive her award during halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
Lau has been connected with the University for more than 15 years, first as an employee with the UH Foundation. In 2010 she began working for the Na Koa Football Club which started a relationship with the Athletics Department that is still going strong today.
 
After her retirement in 2018, she continued to volunteer with many of the same planning committees and events that she worked on as an employee. She has been a planning leader for men's volleyball's A'o a Koa Event, baseball's For the Love of the Game, and last July's inaugural Sistahhood Social.
 
In between events, she is a dedicated volunteer and supporter of the Men's Basketball Booster Club, Letterwinners Club, the Murphy's Pigskin Pigout, Na Koa Golf Tournament, Hawai'i Bowl, and Diamond Head Classic.
 
Two of her three children graduated from UH. In 2004, after her children had already graduated, she too got her degree in psychology from the University. She and her husband Eddie can be seen at almost every athletics event and also travels on the road to support the teams.
 
Originally entitled the Rainbow Service Award, the Ushijima Award was later re-named after its first recipient, the late Charlie Ushijima who was responsible for the building of the first on-campus baseball stadium. In addition he fulfilled countless hours of volunteer work as President of the UH booster club for baseball.