Photo By Kristen Wong | Lance Cpl. Justin Hunter, an avionics technician with Marine Aviation Logistics...... read more read more
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KAILUA, Hawaii - More than 20 Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 Marines, sailors and their families broke out nets, buckets and loud voices volunteering for Cop on Top, a Special Olympics Hawaii fundraiser, at multiple Oahu locations, Aug. 28 through 30, 2014.
Special Olympics Hawaii is a nonprofit organization that helps special needs children and adults compete in individual and team sports. Each year, they host numerous fundraisers to support their cause.
During the three-day Cop on Top event, members of law enforcement sit atop scaffolding in the parking lots of several shopping centers, spreading awareness while Special Olympics Hawaii staff and other volunteers collect donations from the public.
Jen Ernst, Special Olympics Hawaii’s regional area director for Central Honolulu and Windward Oahu, said 40 volunteers each day would be considered a good turnout for an event like Cop on Top.
During each shift throughout the day, she said three would be on the scaffold while 10 would be dispersed throughout the shopping center collecting donations.
It can be challenging to find volunteers each year, especially since some are “seasonal volunteers,” like the military, she said. Active-duty service members are usually only stationed here for a few years before leaving for another duty station, and may sometimes be unable to volunteer due to training commitments.
However, Ernst said she is fortunate. Over the past few years, when military points of contact leave, they usually find someone to replace them.
“Someone was always there when we were in a pinch,” she said. “We’re fortunate to have all the military volunteers.”
The coordinator in charge of recruiting the MALS-24 volunteers was Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Malicek, an aviation support equipment technician with 900 Division of MALS-24. Malicek, who is a member of the Coalition for Sailors Against Destructive Decisions, recruited volunteers from the base through mass emails.
Having volunteer opportunities through CSADD helps encourage service members to avoid making bad choices, which include drug or alcohol abuse. Malicek said the Marines are welcome to join CSADD.
“I want to prevent my shipmates from (making) bad decisions that negatively affects them,” said Malicek, of Pasadena, Calif.
Malicek and fellow Lance Cpl. Amanda Tomlinson, an aviation support equipment technician for MALS-24, picked up equipment from Special Olympics Hawaii’s warehouse, and helped raise the scaffold at Aikahi Shopping Center, in addition to providing support during the event. The squadron volunteers also provided support at shopping centers in Hawaii Kai and Kaneohe.
In addition, members of the squadron also put together a car show in the afternoon of Aug. 30 to raise additional funds for the organization.
Malicek said more than 70 volunteers also volunteered for the organization’s bocce ball and soccer games at Waiau District Park in Pearl City, Hawaii.
While Malicek spent time on the microphone atop the scaffold, Lance Cpl. Richard La Frentz, an avionics technician with MALS-24, asked for donations from passersby in the shopping center.
“I love volunteering,” La Frentz said. “I used to volunteer a lot at Cherry Point. (I want to) keep volunteering to support causes other people believe in.”
Personally, La Frentz, a native of Stockton, Calif., used to volunteer at an animal shelter while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. He plans to volunteer with the Single Marine & Sailor Program with their regular dog-running program, in which the single Marines and sailors visit the Hawaiian Humane Society and take shelter dogs outdoors for exercise.
There are more opportunities to get involved with Special Olympics Hawaii the rest of this year, and Malicek said he is still recruiting volunteers. He can be reached at chris.malicek@usmc.mil.
“Once they start participating they want to continue,” Ernst said. “They get to socialize in different places with different people. (Other) states don’t have such a good, (close) relationship with the military. They’re very ready to help us but the key is to learn and have a good point of
contact.”
Additionally, Ernst mentioned that the organization is going to need more than 200 volunteers for an event in April at Kaiser High School, which includes sports such as track, field, swimming and power lifting. For more information, email Ernst at ha@specialolympicshawaii.org.
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2014 18:52 |
| Story ID: | 141316 |
| Location: | KAILUA, HI, US |
| Hometown: | PASADENA, CA, US |
| Hometown: | STOCKTON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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