HONOLULU – With over 4,000 fans in attendance at Saturday's game, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, Head Coach
Laura Beeman, and the University of Hawai'i's Rainbow Wahine Basketball Team launched the 25
th Annual State Employees' Food Drive. The drive, co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke and Second Gentleman Michael Luke, will run from February 17 to May 17 accepting monetary and food donations to reduce food insecurity across the State.
The State Employee Food Drive was first launched in 1999 and is held annually for state employees to support eliminating food insecurity in Hawaiʻi's communities. The goal for this year's food drive is to help to provide over 400,000 meals.
The Food Drive launch purposefully coincided with "Beeman's Big Bash," a campaign to break the attendance record for a Rainbow Wahine basketball game during Coach Beeman's tenure at UH.
"I want to thank the Lieutenant Governor for asking me to be a part of something so special," Coach Beeman said. "Any time we can give back to our community, support the food insecure and try to raise awareness to that, I think it's absolutely huge. So anytime we can partner with our state to help the less fortunate, I'm all about that."
Lt. Governor Luke is honored to lead the 25
th Annual State Employees' Food Drive and support the partnership between State employees and the Hawaiʻi Foodbank.
"Tonight's successful launch of the State Employees' Food Drive couldn't have been possible without Coach Beeman, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine and their fans," said Luke. "As we continue with the State coalition's campaign, I look forward to future collaborations with UH Athletics to fight hunger."
This year approximately 1 in 6 Hawaiʻi residents will experience food insecurity, including 69,000 keiki.
Anyone can support the Hawaiʻi Foodbank and the State Employee Food Drive. To make a contribution or learn more, visit
hawaiifoodbank.org/state.
To continue supporting UH Rainbow Wahine Basketball, visit
hawaiiathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball.
