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For Immediate Release
May 8, 2019

Board of Water Supply Announces Water Conservation Poster and Poetry Contest Winners


HONOLULU – Winners of the Board of Water Supply’s (BWS) 2019 Water Conservation Week Poster and Poetry Contests were announced today at an awards ceremony at the historic Mission Memorial Auditorium.  Forty-two Oahu students were recognized for creating artwork and poetry that illustrate the importance of water conservation.

contest winners 2019

2019 marked the 41st annual poster contest and the 11th annual poetry contest. For decades, these contests have educated Oahu keiki about the significance of water conservation and what they can do to help preserve our limited resources. The BWS Water Conservation Week Contests accept poster entries from students in kindergarten through sixth grade and poems from students in 7th through 12th grades.

“The quality and creativity of the entries we receive continue to exceed our expectations,” said BWS Chairman Bryan Andaya. “The winning students proficiently expressed ways for the community to help ensure a sustainable supply.”

poster contest winners 2019

“Each year, we receive thousands of outstanding illustrations that show how keiki view our water resources,” said BWS Manager and Chief Engineer Ernest Y.W. Lau. “The poster and poetry contests embody the essence of the BWS's mission Ka Wai Ola – Water for Life.”

poster contest winners 2019

Top honors were awarded to 24 Oahu students in different categories from kindergarten to 12th grade, along with 18 honorable mentions from 51 public and private schools, afterschool programs, student enrichment programs, and homeschooled children on Oahu. The winning entries were chosen by contest judges out of more than 950 posters and 400 poems received. Winning and honorable mention artwork and poems will be featured in the BWS’s 2020 Water Conservation calendar, which will be printed and made available to the public at the end of this year. It will also be available for download on the BWS website at http://www.boardofwatersupply.com.  All winning and honorable mention entries will also be on exhibit at:

  • Honolulu Hale Lane Gallery now through May 29;  
  • Kapolei Hale from June 3 to June 28;  
  • Kahala Mall from July 8 to July 19
  • Windward Mall from July 22 to August 9; and
  • BWS Public Service Building Lobby from August 12 to August 30. 

The winning artwork and poetry will be available online at www.boardofwatersupply.com/contestwinners.

This year’s poster contest was judged by retired Department of Education (DOE) Teacher Morris Umeno, 4Front Branding’s Pat Monick, and BWS Deputy Program Administrator for Information Technology Ronald Wada.  The poetry contest was judged by BWS Communications Office Information Specialist Keoni Mattos, Professional Writer Mitchell Dwyer, and BWS Information Technology Division Secretary Nicole Rodwell.

Thank you to all of our sponsors that made this year’s contests possible. Platinum Sponsors Sodexo Hawaii, the Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden, Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union, and Times Supermarket; Gold Sponsors Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union and Hawaii Energy; and Silver Sponsor Pasha Hawaii.  

2019 Water Conservation Week poster contest place winners:


Kindergarten

  • 1st Place: Kailee Hahn, Kaneohe Elementary School
  • 2nd Place: Memphis Martinez, Kaneohe Elementary School
  • 3rd Place: Lilyan Hileman, Makalapa Elementary School

First and Second Grades

  • 1st Place: Aashray So, 2nd Grade, Ka`ōhao School
  • 2nd Place: Ellalina (Lina) Onken, 2nd Grade, Ka`ōhao School
  • 3rd Place: Isabella Bruhn, 1st Grade, Enchanted Lake Elementary School

                                                            
Third and Fourth Grades

  • 1st Place: Sena Sekine, 3rd Grade, Aliiolani Elementary School
  • 2nd Place: Brandon Nguyen, 3rd Grade, Aliiolani Elementary School
  • 3rd Place: Kensey Gonsalves, 3rd Grade, Enchanted Lake Elementary School

Fifth and Sixth Grades

  • 1st Place: Kristin Yasuko Yoshimura, 6th Grade, Pearl City Highlands Elementary School
  • 2nd Place: April Jusi, 6th Grade, Kapolei Middle School
  • 3rd Place: Taylor Soma, 6th Grade, Pearl City Highlands Elementary School

2019 Water Conservation Week poetry contest place winners:


Seventh and Eighth Grades

  • 1st Place: Barrett Jones, 7th Grade, Kailua Intermediate School
  • 2nd Place: Manaia Roberts, 7th Grade, Kailua Intermediate. School
  • 3rd Place: Aysa Jones, 7th Grade, Kailua Intermediate School
  • 4th Place: Lorelei Collis, 7th Grade, Kailua Intermediate School

Ninth and Tenth Grades

  • 1st Place: Janel Michaela Joson, 10th Grade, Moanalua High School
  • 2nd Place: Liam DeBusca, 10th Grade, Mililani High School
  • 3rd Place: Claire Narimasu, 10th Grade, Moanalua High School
  • 4th Place: Deijah Neverdon, 9th Grade, University Laboratory School

                                                            
Eleventh and Twelfth Grades

  • 1st Place: Caralyn Yamasaki, 12th Grade, Mililani High School
  • 2nd Place: Emily Truong, 12th Grade, Sacred Hearts Academy
  • 3rd Place: Chaysen Agcaoili, 12th Grade, Moanalua High School
  • 4th Place: Haley Evile, 12th Grade, Mililani High School

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.”  For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

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Photos are attached for your consideration and use. The photos are courtesy of the Board of Water Supply.


Contact:

Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319