Singing in the Rain: Carolers Brought Holiday Cheers despite heavy rains

Honolulu, Hawaii. UPAAH members drove all over East Honolulu and Leeward Oahu areas to bring holiday cheers to our friends and families with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Volunteers from the Muscular Dystrophy Association-Hawaii ALS Support Group and Ohana (MDA-HALSSGO) and Singles for Christ Hawaii (SFC) also lend their time and talents for the December 11, 2008 project. It was a night filled with rain, stories, songs and laughter, coffee, milk and cookies and fellowship.  

Divina Telan-Robillard led the Leeward group and was joined by fellow UP alums Ray Liongson and Rose Zabanal; Kathleen Hanson, Paul and Dale Mahi, Penny and Brad Chun represented MDA-HALSSGO.  The group sang for Sherry and Ken Ching in Aiea, Warren Kam, with wife, Jennie Chun in Moanalua Valley and Nana and Dick Meckstroth in Aiea Heights. 

Jennifer Li, MDA Health Care Services Coordinator, led the East Honolulu group with Santa Joe, Nancy and Tammi Fujino, and George of MDA-HALSSGO. Jon Pangilinan, Mylene Agluba, Marjorie Pajaron and Orville Baldos represented UPAAH and were joined by Robert Morano, Ed Leano, Tess Simon, Justin Rivera and Mona Ragodos of SFC Hawaii. The group caroled Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Warren of Hawaii Kai, Errol and Katharine Hind of Manoa and Richard and Mineko Raker of Nuuanu.

The project received heartwarming responses from both carolees and carolers. Mr. Raker wrote, 

“Thank you both so much for organizing and leading the charge with the Christmas carolers. It was amazing to have 15 beautiful people in my bedroom singing their hearts out for me and Mineko. We enjoyed it so much it's really hard to describe in words how I felt. I think Jennifer even caught me with a tear coming down my cheek.” 

Mona Ragodos of SFC wrote,

“Thank you for extending the invitation out to us; it was fun.  The ALS patients touched my heart that night.  It was hard to hold back the tears, especially when I saw Mineko crying.  God truly used them as a reality check and more so to bring our hearts a sense of compassion. Please extend our mahalos to MDA and UPAA.  It was a pleasure meeting and singing with them.  If there is another opportunity for a community service with them, please let's do it!”

 The UPAAH-MDA-HALSSGO caroling project is in its second year and was spearheaded by UPAA Hawaii President-elect and MDA-HALSSGO facilitator/coordinator Divina Telan-Robillard, and UPAA Hawaii PRO and SFC music ministry coordinator Jon Pangilinan.