MEDIA RELEASE

The 14th Annual Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation Anniversary Benefit Awards Dinner/Silent Auction will be held this year on Saturday, September 3, at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, at Mauna Lani Resort.

The event raises funds to assist in the purchase of much needed rescue emergency equipment and training for the Hawaii County Fire Department and honors exceptional Hawaii County Fire Department personnel for meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty.

Cost to attend is $85 per person, inclusive. Tables of 10 are available for purchase; patrons may also choose to sponsor dinners for one or more firefighters and their spouses.

The silent auction will start at 4:30 p.m., followed by the awards dinner at 6 p.m. Hawaii County firefighters who have performed meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty will be honored – Fire Equipment Operator Brent Matsuda, Fire Rescue Specialist Justin Neeson, Fire Fighter Gregory Houghtaling, Fire Rescue Specialist Edward McClellan, Fire Fighter Jeffer Obenchain, Fire/EMS Specialist II Shane Paulos, and Water Safety Officer II Waika Koanui.

This year’s silent auction includes opportunities to bid on stays at exclusive international hotels, and other 5-star resort destinations; collector items including a custom made koa long board donated by the Betty Kanuha Foundation and hand carved by Steve Martin, a handcrafted wooden vessel by famed woodworker Gregg Smith watercolors and oils by famed local artists, rounds of golf at Big Island courses, gift certificates to outstanding restaurants, and a huge array of activities.

For dinner reservations, call The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation at (808) 325-5456. The Fairmont Orchid is partnering with the Foundation for this gala evening, offering complimentary parking and a special room rate for the weekend.

Proceeds from the event will help to purchase new and updated equipment for Hawaii County’s fire/rescue teams. This year’s needs list includes jet skis for water rescue, dive computers, night-vision optics for helicopter pilots, rescue boat electronics and radar, dive computers, rappelling gloves, cold weather gear, additional rescue harnesses and helmets, sledge hammers, chain saws, static rescue rope, hydraulic jacks, smoke ejectors, and training programs and these items will be available for live auction bids. In the last 12 years the Foundation – a 501©3 non-profit previously under the umbrella of the Hawaii Community Foundation –has s acquired more than $600,000 in equipment and donations.

Laura Mallery-Sayre and her husband Dr. Frank Sayre established the Foundation. The Foundation has worked closely with Fire Chief Darryl J. Oliveira to support the needs of the County Fire Department. “This community effort is helping to keep our first responders safe and enables them to be even more effective in serving our needs,” said Mallery-Sayre. “We urge everyone to attend this meaningful event and to support our Hawaii County Fire Department.”

For more information on the event or the Foundation, visit http://danielsayrefoundation.net

* Dr. Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre will be guests on the Emily T Gail Show at 6 p.m. Sunday on ESPN AM850 Hilo AM790 Kona and espnhawaii.com