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<br /> <br />Diane L. Ley <br />Harry Kim <br />Director <br />Mayor <br /> <br /> <br />Riley Saito <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br /> County of Hawai‘i <br /> DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT <br /> 25 Aupuni Street, Room 1301  Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720-4252 <br /> (808) 961-8366  Fax (808) 935-1205 <br /> E-mail: chresdev@hawaiicounty.gov <br /> <br />December 4, 2019 <br /> <br />NEWS RELEASE <br /> <br />Media Contact: Tom Callis <br />Tom.Callis@hawaiicounty.gov <br />808-961-8729 <br /> <br />Puna Eruption Art Contest Winners Announced <br /> <br />Six students were announced as winners in the Nā ‘Ōpio o Puna Art Contest <br />during a Wednesday meeting of the Hawai‘i County Council in Hilo. <br /> <br />Through the contest organized by Hawai‘i County’s K ī lauea eruption recovery <br />team and its partners, students attending high schools in Puna were invited to submit <br />original artwork illustrating what it means to be “Hawai‘i Island and Puna Strong.” <br /> <br />“They dug down deep and they reflected on how the K ī lauea eruption impacted <br />them, their families and their community,” said Puna Councilwoman Ashley <br />Kierkiewicz. “But beyond that, they wanted to celebrate what they feel makes Puna and <br />Hawai‘i Island strong.” <br /> <br />Each student is awarded an individual development account (IDA) with Hawaiian <br />Community Assets (HCA) in amounts of $250 for honorable mentions, $500 for third <br />place, $750 for second place and $1,000 for first place. The top three winners and their <br />families also receive a one-night stay at the Grand Naniloa Hotel courtesy of the hotel. <br /> <br />An IDA is a restricted matched savings account often used for university <br />expenses, career training, or entrepreneurial opportunities. The contest IDAs are <br />sponsored by Tetra Tech, SSFM International, Hawai‘i Alliance for Community-Based <br />Economic Development, and HCA. <br /> <br /> The students will work with HCA to determine the parameters of their savings <br />goals. <br /> <br />Winners were determined by a selection committee consisting of Kierkiewicz, <br />Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder, Recovery Officer Douglas Le, P ā hoa High <br />School alumnus and University of Hawaii at Hilo student Keinan Agonias, and Puna <br />Action Committee Vice-Chair Franny Brewer. <br />Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer <br /> <br />