Kapi ‘ olani
MOTIVATED ENTREPRENEUR
Cassidy Crowley turned a bright idea into a way to give back . When she was 7 , she noticed her baby sister , Emily , would sometimes choke when her family fed her . Cassidy imagined a baby-friendly feeding utensil with softer edges than a traditional spoon . The young entrepreneur created a prototype for a school science and engineering fair project , then continued to hone the design through about 30 revisions before the Baby Toon was completed .
The invention was a big hit on the ABC show Shark Tank and can now be found in more than 4,000 stores across the country . Before her product went national , the 12-year-old committed to make a donation to Kapi ‘ olani from proceeds of sales . When she sold her 3,000th Baby Toon , Cassidy presented a $ 1,000 gift to Kapi ‘ olani in honor of emergency care she and her mom , Lori Crowley , received at the medical center .
“ Kapi ‘ olani is very special to my family because that ‘ s where I was born ,“ Cassidy said . “ The workers helped save both of our lives because my mom had a problem when she was giving birth to me so she had to go to the Emergency Room . Luckily the people at Kapi ‘ olani were able to get me out and save both of us .“
BACK ROW ( LEFT TO RIGHT ): Mavis Nikaido , Kapi ‘ olani vice president of patient services ; Lori and Will Crowley ; and Amanda Price , Hawai ‘ i Pacific Health director of annual giving . FRONT ROW ( LEFT TO RIGHT ): Sisters Emily , Lei and Cassidy Crowley .
LEFT TO RIGHT : Alexander , Alicia , Troy and David Brandt
AWARENESS AUCTION
During the pandemic , Troy Brandt used his extra time at home to organize a charity auction to support Kapi ‘ olani patients . It was a personal project , in honor of the care he received after a leg surgery at age 5 . “ I will always be grateful for Children ‘ s Miracle Network support . I ‘ m healthy and able now , but there are always those who are less fortunate ,“ the 15-year-old said . “ I now have the opportunity to give back and make a positive change in someone else ‘ s life .“
With the help of his parents , Alicia and David Brandt , who own O ‘ ahu Auctions , Troy built an online auction website . He asked friends and family for donations and collected everything from hotel stays to a dirt bike , a snorkel adventure and even a new Segway . Next , he shared his story with local media to invite people to bid . He even texted a promotional flyer to his friends . Troy ‘ s efforts really paid off . He presented a grand total of $ 22,159 to Kapi ‘ olani .
KEY TO YOUR HEART
Antoinette Pinera has discovered innovation is a key to creating a change ! The Waipahu High School senior founded # Chainz4Change , a student-led organization that makes custom-made keychains from recycled materials and donated some of the profits to the new Pediatric Heart Center . Antoinette , a student intern at Pali Momi Medical Center , was inspired to give to Kapiʻolani by her younger brother , who was born with a congenital heart defect . “ Kapiʻolani ‘ s Kardiac Kids was a source of comfort and support when we needed it ,“ Antoinette said . What started out as a hobby with friends has surpassed her goal of raising $ 5,000 for Kapi ‘ olani . With her success , Antoinette is now looking to welcome 30 more members into the # Chainz4Change organization to continue the keychain fundraising and do volunteer work in the community .
Antoinette Pinera showing one of her keychain creations .