Sust`ainable Molokai Named Finalist in National Program

Sust`ainable Molokai News Release

Local nonprofit Sust`ainable Molokai has been selected as the only finalist from Hawaii in the Tom’s of Maine “50 States for Good” program. That means it now has a chance to win up to $50,000 in support of a community project that will engage student and community volunteers to plant 5,000 trees to heal our aina (land) and recharge our single source aquifer.

Through a online public vote at Facebook.com/TomsofMaine now through October 9, local residents can help bring the funding to Molokai with the click of a mouse.

The “50 States for Good” program seeks to uncover local nonprofit groups that address urgent community needs and engage volunteers to get the work done. Sust`ainable Molokai’s Malama Honua – Earth Stewards program connects with schools through the Molokai School Garden Network to teach students to propagate and plant trees that will help stop erosion and restore nutrient-rich soil for farming and food production to create food security. The program will also encourage more appropriate land management systems and help conserve the land for future generations, as trees help to restore and recharge the water table. Planting trees can also serve as a resource either as food or as native hardwoods that help perpetuate the island’s cultural traditions.

“We are excited and honored to have been chosen as a finalist,” said Fred Richardson, Sust`ainable Molokai’s school garden coordinator. “Not only would these funds help move our youth and volunteer programs forward, the work funded will contribute deeply to helping restore balance and harmony to the `aina.”

Nonprofits from each state were selected by an independent panel of judges. The public vote will determine six winning organizations to share $150,000 in funding. The organization with the most public support will receive $50,000 in sponsorship funding, while five additional organizations will each receive $20,000.

“We can’t wait to see the lasting impact of healthy, human and environmental goodness that will come from funding our winning organizations’ projects,” said Susan Dewhirst, goodness programs manager at Tom’s of Maine, a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care.

Tom’s of Maine is a longtime supporter of community involvement programs, and since its inception, the company has donated 10 percent of its profits back to the community. Sust`ainble Molokai’s mission is to maintain the island of Molokai’s legacy of `aina momona (abundant land) utilizing Native Hawaiian practices and modern technologies for a sustainable future.