One hundred fifty-five donors to HPR participated in the Radio Flyers - Making Spirits Bright campaign between December 2 and 10, 2015. Through this unique program, HPR contributes ten (10) HawaiianMiles to Kapi?olani Medical Center for Women & Children’s Family Fund for ever dollar it receives.
HPR raised $42,088 in online donations or via calls to volunteer-staffed phone lines over these eight days in December. The resulting 420,088 Radio Flyer miles will be administered by Kapi?olani's Family Fund and used to fly Neighbor Island children and their families with limited financial resources to and from Honolulu, when they are in need of the specialized care only Kapi?olani can provide.
The Radio Flyers program had been previously offered to donors during the station's fall and spring pledge drives. The opportunity to designate Radio Flyers miles this December was recognized by many as an additional benefit to their traditional year-end giving. The campaign received an initial boost of $16,000 in a "challenge" funded by Dr. Alan Britten, Dr. Tom Kosasa, Dr. Ken Nakamura, Dr. Ken Robbins, and an anonymous donor.
The Radio Flyers program originated in October 2013 with a single supporter’s inspiration and generosity. This longtime HPR listener saw a way to multiply his donation to HPR by asking that his premium of frequent flyer miles from Hawaiian Airlines be transferred to benefit a second charitable organization.
Most of the 3.8 million HawaiianMiles raised since the program’s inception had been exhausted prior to the December 2015 campaign. Kapi?olani's Family Fund reported that between 2013 and 2015, Radio Flyer miles helped nearly 200 young patients and their families.
