HONOLULU (June 7, 2007) – The Akana family of Kalihi Valley is the latest family to be featured on the Emmy Award winning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Until June 6, 2007, the family lived in a deteriorating home in Kalihi Valley and mom, Momi, worked in a termite-ridden building operating her non-profit organization Keiki O Ka Aina. Over the course of a week, the home and learning center will be demolished and replaced. The new home and community center will be a dream-come-true for this family.

In an extreme effort to show the program’s 20 million viewers of Hawai‘i’s aloha spirit and commitment to ‘ohana (family), Central Pacific Bank and First Hawaiian Bank announced today that they will collect funds for the House/Community Fund to help “move da bus” for the Akana family. Contributions will be collected at all First Hawaiian Bank and Central Pacific Bank branches through June 13, 2007, the day the family’s new home and community center will be revealed.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Brookfield Homes Hawai‘i, and hundreds of workers from local building trade organizations are joining forces for the show’s largest project to date. All of their time, talents, and materials resources are being donated to help build the Akana family’s new home, as well as a new learning center for Keiki O Ka Aina.

Akana was a single mom on welfare 11 years ago when she founded (KOKA), a non-profit organization that supports the native Hawaiian community by offering culturally educational programs for free to those who would not normally be able to afford them. In the beginning, Akana used her food stamps to buy snacks for the center and considered her welfare check her paycheck for the services she was providing. Today, she acts as an advocate for struggling single moms by helping them better understand the welfare system and expose them to all available resources. She has also started a program to help Moms in prison receive parental training, counseling and job force training so that they can strengthen their relationships with their children and change their lives for the better upon their release.

About Brookfield Homes Hawai‘i
Award-winning Brookfield Homes Hawai‘i is a venture between local ownership in Hawai‘i and one of North America's larger home building companies, Brookfield Homes. Based on O’ahu, Brookfield Homes Hawai’i is managed by an experienced team that has a deep love for the islands and for the business, homes, and neighborhoods it builds. Living and working in Hawai‘i provides understanding of the beauty and spirit of each island, which is reflected in what they build and improved quality of life.
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COMMUNITY HELP NEEDED TO “MOVE DA BUS” FOR
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION HAWAI`I FAMILY
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About Central Pacific Bank
Central Pacific Financial Corp. is the fourth largest financial institution in Hawaii with more than $5.0 billion in assets. Central Pacific Bank, its primary subsidiary, operates 38 branches statewide, including four supermarket branches and more than 90 ATMs. For additional information, please visit our Web site at www.centralpacificbank.com.

About First Hawaiian Bank
First Hawaiian Bank (fhb.com) with assets of $12.3 billion, was founded in 1858 and is Hawai‘i's oldest and largest bank.  It has 57 branches in Hawai‘i, three on Guam and two on Saipan.  It is a subsidiary of BancWest Corporation (www.bancwestcorp.com), a financial holding company with assets of $68.7 billion.

About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), and is in its 4th season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer; and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.