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Hawaii Police Commemorative Fund Tourney set 04-11-03

HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
HILO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
DETECTIVE GREG ESTEBAN
PHONE: 961-2384
APRIL 11, 2002

MEDIA RELEASE

Members of the Hawaii County Police Department and their families and friends are planning the 13th annual Hawaii Police Commemorative Fund Tournament, scheduled for May 9-11, 2003, at the new Kawananakoa Gymnasium and ball field in Keaukaha.

The three-day, multi-sport event is a fundraising tournament with portions of the proceeds generated going towards scholarships at both the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College in memory of Hawaii County police officers killed in the line of duty.

The tournament was started following the death of Officer Ronald “Shige” Jitchaku, who was killed on May 7, 1990, while attempting to break up a large brawl on Banyan Drive in Hilo.

In memory of Officer Jitchaku, the “Shige 5K Fun Run” and 1.5 Mile Walk were established as events in this tournament.

Other events include the “Manuel Cadinha Memorial Softball Tournament,” which will be held in memory of Officer Manuel Cadinha, who was killed in while making an arrest of a combative male in 1918. The softball tournament was formerly held in memory of Officer Kenneth Keliipio and co-coordinated by Officer Keone Rodrigues, who is the great grandson of the late Officer Cadinha. Event coordinators felt it was fitting to have the softball tournament held in memory of Officer Rodrigues’ great-grandfather. This year’s softball tournament will be held at the softball field next to the gymnasium.

In addition, the “Kenneth K. Keliipio Memorial Co-ed Softball Tournament,” named in memory of Officer Kenneth Keliipio, a South Hilo Patrol officer who was killed in a motor vehicle collision while assisting a stranded motorist in 1997. The tournament will be held at the Carvalho Park field during the weekend (May 9-11).

Also, the “Daison .Froggie’ Morita Mixed Volleyball Tournament” was established in memory of Daison Morita, an airport firefighter who was killed in a motor vehicle collision in 1998. Morita had been actively involved in every facet of the tournament since its inception in 1990. The volleyball event will be held during the weekend at the new gymnasium.

In addition, a basketball tournament is also scheduled for the same weekend, also at the gym, as part of the three-day event

Finally, a golf tournament will be held Saturday, May 10, at the Banyan Golf Course.

Two scholarships have been established at the University of Hawaii’s Administration of Justice program in memory of Officers Jitchaku and Keliipio.

Two other scholarships have also been established in memory of both officers at the Hawaii Community College, Administration of Justice program.

A total of $17,000 generated from the annual tournament has thus far been donated towards the scholarships.

Other proceeds will go toward the construction of a memorial monument to honor fallen officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Teams or individuals wanting more information about this community event, which is open to the public, are asked to contact the following event coordinators:

Questions about the scholarships can be directed to the Financial Aid Department of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College.

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