• Summer 2009 Newsletter
• Spring 2009 Newsletter
• Winter 2008 Newsletter
  • Winter 2008 President's Message
  • 2009 Awards Gala Committee Welcomes All
  • MPI Aloha Chapter Community Outreach
  • MPI Tailgate
  • Hawaii Motivates Meeting Planners
  • THRIVE During MeetDifferent 2009
  • New Members
  • Zap the Generation Gap
  • Year of the Paniolo
• Late Summer 2008 Newsletter
• Summer 2008 Newsletter
• Spring 2008 Newsletter
• Winter 2007 Newsletter
• Fall 2007 Newsletter

Meet Different…that has been the theme for MPI this whole year and the Aloha Chapter of MPI has been striving to take this idea to heart and provide innovative, fun, and interactive ways for our chapter members to Meet Different.

This fall, we decided to take a unique approach for a mixer and organized our first MPI Aloha Chapter tailgate and football game event. On November 22, a hui of our chapter members, their friends, and their families met in the parking lot of Aloha Stadium to BBQ, eat, drink, and be merry. It was an opportunity to meet outside the typical venue of a catered hotel affair and instead get down to the nitty gritty and grill our own burgers and hot dogs.

Though the weather was not the best, as that weekend called for flash flooding and rain, rain, and more rain, we were lucky and received a reprieve from the weather and was able to enjoy the football game and witness the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s win over Idaho State.

However, this event wasn’t just about football, food, and beer binging but also about giving back to the community. As a part of a community service effort, the MPI Aloha Chapter also sponsored tickets for the athletes and volunteers of Hawaii Special Olympics. Thanks go to Ava Matchen of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort and Spa, for coordinating with Nancy Bothello at Special Olympics to get tickets to these worthy volunteers and inspiring athletes.

Many thanks also go out to Frank Robinson, Director of Catering of the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio, who took up the flag and coordinated the whole tailgate extravaganza. Mahalo also go to Ava Matchen, Theresa Tilly, Merrissa Uchimura, Randy Clark, and Philip Richardson for their kokua and helping to make this event happen.

It was a fun time for all and an exciting win for the UH Warriors who, with this win and the win on November 29, sealed their seat in the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on December 24.  Go Warriors!