Hilo High Foundation to Honor Three Distinguished Alumni in April

The Hilo High School Foundation has channeled more than $587,000 into scholarships, classroom grants and campus improvements over 15 years. On April 24, the Foundation will celebrate three of the graduates that Hilo High helped shape.

The 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards Recognition Dinner honors Jerry Chang, Class of 1965; Glenn Furuya, Class of 1967; and State Senator Lorraine Inouye, Class of 1958, three graduates whose careers trace the full arc of public life in Hawai'i: law and civic service, organizational leadership and the state legislature. Their combined decades of work make them exactly the kind of outcome the Foundation's scholarships and program grants are designed, in part, to produce.

Senator Inouye is among the most recognizable figures in East Hawai'i public life. Her legislative record covers infrastructure, education and cultural programs with direct ties to Hawai'i Island communities. Chang, a former Hawaii state representative, transitioned into law and community engagement following his time in the legislature. Furuya founded Leadership Works, an organizational development practice, and has applied that expertise to civic mentorship across the state.

The dinner runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Sangha Hall, Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin, 424 Kilauea Avenue. Proceeds flow directly into the Foundation's endowment and its annual grant cycle, the mechanism that funds scholarships, faculty initiatives and program supports falling outside what state education budgets reach. Individual tickets are $100. Sponsorship tiers range from the Viking level through gold, blue and platinum, structured to draw local businesses and civic organizations alongside individual attendees.

The evening will also include a silent auction, an open bar and performances by Hilo High's Taiko Club and Hawaiian Club. Dinner will be prepared by chefs Don Hoota and Sheldon Simeon, a nationally known Hawaii chef whose work has helped bring the islands' culinary traditions to wider audiences.

Tickets and sponsorship packages are available on the Hilo High School Foundation website.